dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Former youth minister sentenced to 1 year of supervision, sex-offender evaluation

A former Harvest Bible Chapel youth minister has been sentenced to a year of court supervision on a conviction of disorderly conduct for sending text messages to a teenage parishioner that alarmed the boy 's parents .
Paxton Singer , 25 , of Sugar Grove , also will have to undergo sex-offender evaluation and perform 50 hours of community service , Kane County Judge Michael Noland ruled Monday .
Singer 's attorney , Terry Ekl , said afterward he will file an appeal about the `` tortured '' case Tuesday .
`` There is no way the facts of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conduct or anything else , '' Ekl said .
`` To request a sex-offender evaluation on a charge of disorderly conduct is literally unheard of .
There is no sex involved . ''
Singer was charged in October 2018 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and child exploitation .
Noland convicted him of disorderly conduct in November 2019 .
Nine days later , Noland granted Ekl 's request to vacate the conviction , and agreed to hear a request to order a new trial .
But in February , Noland vacated the vacation and denied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alleged Singer knowingly enticed someone younger than 17 to remove clothing for sexual purposes .
It was alleged that in three text conversations , he asked for a photo of the 15-year-old boy in his underwear , for a photo of the underwear itself , and for the boy to stay overnight at his residence .
Noland found him not guilty of that charge .
At trial , other texts were submitted in which Singer asked the boy about the style of underwear he was wearing .
They were among about 2,000 texts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in summer 2016 on a bus to Harvest 's camp in Michigan .
Singer was the youth 's cabin counselor at the camp .
Some of the messages indicated Singer wanted to see the boy 's underwear , but none contained a request for the victim to take off his clothes .

Former youth minister sentenced to 1 year of supervision, sex-offender evaluation
A former Harvest Bible Chapel youth minister has been sentenced to a year of court supervision on a conviction of disorderly conduct for sending text messages to a teenage parishioner that alarmed the boy's parents.
Paxton Singer, 25, of Sugar Grove, also will have to undergo sex-offender evaluation and perform 50 hours of community service, Kane County Judge Michael Noland ruled Monday.
Singer's attorney, Terry Ekl, said afterward he will file an appeal about the "tortured" case Tuesday.
"There is no way the facts of this case can justify a conviction for disorderly conduct or anything else," Ekl said. "To request a sex-offender evaluation on a charge of disorderly conduct is literally unheard of. There is no sex involved."
Singer was charged in October 2018 with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and child exploitation.
Noland convicted him of disorderly conduct in November 2019. Nine days later, Noland granted Ekl's request to vacate the conviction, and agreed to hear a request to order a new trial. But in February, Noland vacated the vacation and denied the new trial.
The exploitation charge alleged Singer knowingly enticed someone younger than 17 to remove clothing for sexual purposes. It was alleged that in three text conversations, he asked for a photo of the 15-year-old boy in his underwear, for a photo of the underwear itself, and for the boy to stay overnight at his residence. Noland found him not guilty of that charge.
At trial, other texts were submitted in which Singer asked the boy about the style of underwear he was wearing. They were among about 2,000 texts Singer and the boy exchanged after meeting in summer 2016 on a bus to Harvest's camp in Michigan. Singer was the youth's cabin counselor at the camp.
Some of the messages indicated Singer wanted to see the boy's underwear, but none contained a request for the victim to take off his clothes.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Schaumburg close to choosing entertainment district developer

Schaumburg trustees Tuesday will consider authorizing negotiations with a developer to create a long discussed entertainment district just north of the Renaissance Hotel and Schaumburg Convention Center at the northeast corner of Meacham Road and the I-90 tollway .
The firm nominated by village staff -- Oak Brook-based Kensington Development Partners -- would bring to the deal two undisclosed entertainment anchors expected to draw a million visitors a year to the 23-acre site .
Among the four firms that submitted proposals for the project , Kensington recently was favored over the other finalist -- GRE Schaumburg , LLC -- for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's , including a smaller residential component .
Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said some residential component likely needed , but even Kensington 's initial proposal included more than the village anticipated .
Both the `` cool '' factor and access to amenities are among the reasons people may want to live in an entertainment district , Frank said .
`` I think there 's that appeal to the younger generation as well as to those who are downsizing , '' he added .
While the village owns the land for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most if not all of it to Kensington eventually .
Schaumburg officials previously worked on the design of a multilevel parking deck for the entertainment district , with the idea that it could remain public property .
And the village has long harbored plans for a performing arts center that could be retained in some form in the final development .
Both finalists for the project described conversations with private entities who said they 'd be interested in managing a performing arts or music venue on a contractual basis , but anything other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facility would not be feasible , Frank said .
Despite the current prohibition on public gatherings , Kensington and its two proposed entertainment anchors have committed to the project , which has an expected 18- to 24-month time frame .
`` They 're on board long-term as we get through the pandemic , '' Frank said .
The development likely will include more hotel space than the existing Renaissance , he added .
If trustees give the go-ahead to negotiations Tuesday , the next step likely would be approval of general financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also will review a plan for improvements to the adjacent part of Meacham that could include a pedestrian bridge to the Veridian development on the former Motorola Solutions site on the west side of the road .

Schaumburg close to choosing entertainment district developer
A rendering of Oak Brook-based Kensington Development Partners' proposal for an entertainment district just north of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center on the east side of Meacham Road in Schaumburg. Courtesy of village of Schaumburg
Oak Brook-based Kensington Development Partners' proposal for an entertainment district on the east side of Meacham Road in Schaumburg appears to be the village's preferred choice. Courtesy of village of Schaumburg
A rendering of Oak Brook-based Kensington Development Partners' proposal for an entertainment district just north of the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center on the east side of Meacham Road in Schaumburg. Courtesy of village of Schaumburg
Schaumburg trustees Tuesday will consider authorizing negotiations with a developer to create a long discussed entertainment district just north of the Renaissance Hotel and Schaumburg Convention Center at the northeast corner of Meacham Road and the I-90 tollway.
The firm nominated by village staff -- Oak Brook-based Kensington Development Partners -- would bring to the deal two undisclosed entertainment anchors expected to draw a million visitors a year to the 23-acre site.
Among the four firms that submitted proposals for the project, Kensington recently was favored over the other finalist -- GRE Schaumburg, LLC -- for having a vision closer to the village's, including a smaller residential component.
Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said some residential component likely needed, but even Kensington's initial proposal included more than the village anticipated.
Both the "cool" factor and access to amenities are among the reasons people may want to live in an entertainment district, Frank said.
"I think there's that appeal to the younger generation as well as to those who are downsizing," he added.
While the village owns the land for the project, the aim is to sell most if not all of it to Kensington eventually.
Schaumburg officials previously worked on the design of a multilevel parking deck for the entertainment district, with the idea that it could remain public property. And the village has long harbored plans for a performing arts center that could be retained in some form in the final development.
Both finalists for the project described conversations with private entities who said they'd be interested in managing a performing arts or music venue on a contractual basis, but anything other than substantial public support or ownership of the facility would not be feasible, Frank said.
Despite the current prohibition on public gatherings, Kensington and its two proposed entertainment anchors have committed to the project, which has an expected 18- to 24-month time frame.
"They're on board long-term as we get through the pandemic," Frank said.
The development likely will include more hotel space than the existing Renaissance, he added.
If trustees give the go-ahead to negotiations Tuesday, the next step likely would be approval of general financial terms, Frank said.
Officials Tuesday also will review a plan for improvements to the adjacent part of Meacham that could include a pedestrian bridge to the Veridian development on the former Motorola Solutions site on the west side of the road.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Illinois Supreme Court officially disbars Blagojevich

The Illinois Supreme Court on Monday officially disbarred disgraced former Gov .
Rod Blagojevich , citing `` numerous criminal acts '' he committed during his time as the state 's chief executive .
Blagojevich had been on interim suspension since October 2011 , following his conviction for wire fraud , bribery and attempted extortion .
In February , Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission counsel Christopher Heredia argued that Blagojevich 's `` moral turpitude '' contradicted `` honor , justice and good morals '' and justified his disbarment .
During that hearing , Heredia outlined Blagojevich 's crimes , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when Obama became president ; trying to extort the CEO of Edward Hospital in Naperville ; attempting to shake down the CEO of Children 's Memorial Hospital in exchange for increased state funding for pediatric care ; and trying to bribe the owner of the former Maywood and Balmoral horse racing tracks in exchange for signing a bill that benefitted horse racing at the expense of casinos .
Blagojevich did not attend the February hearing , but his attorney , Sheldon Sorosky , said the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so that he could continue to serve Illinois residents .
The hearing occurred about a week after President Donald Trump commuted Blagojevich 's prison sentence , freeing him from federal custody with about four years left to serve on his 14-year term .
Media columnist Robert Feder reported recently that Blagojevich will host `` The Lightning Rod , '' a weekly podcast for Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM .

Illinois Supreme Court officially disbars Blagojevich
The Illinois Supreme Court on Monday officially disbarred disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing "numerous criminal acts" he committed during his time as the state's chief executive.
Blagojevich had been on interim suspension since October 2011, following his conviction for wire fraud, bribery and attempted extortion.
In February, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission counsel Christopher Heredia argued that Blagojevich's "moral turpitude" contradicted "honor, justice and good morals" and justified his disbarment.
During that hearing, Heredia outlined Blagojevich's crimes, which included: an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama when Obama became president; trying to extort the CEO of Edward Hospital in Naperville; attempting to shake down the CEO of Children's Memorial Hospital in exchange for increased state funding for pediatric care; and trying to bribe the owner of the former Maywood and Balmoral horse racing tracks in exchange for signing a bill that benefitted horse racing at the expense of casinos.
Blagojevich did not attend the February hearing, but his attorney, Sheldon Sorosky, said the former governor believed he was obtaining campaign contributions so that he could continue to serve Illinois residents.
The hearing occurred about a week after President Donald Trump commuted Blagojevich's prison sentence, freeing him from federal custody with about four years left to serve on his 14-year term.
Media columnist Robert Feder reported recently that Blagojevich will host "The Lightning Rod," a weekly podcast for Cumulus Media news/talk WLS 890-AM.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--17 calls, no tickets about face masks in Elgin

Elgin police have responded to 17 calls about people not wearing masks or face coverings since May 1 , mostly about individuals who were outside and too close to others .
One call came at about 2:30 a.m. May 5 about a customer refusing to wear a mask at a gas station in the 1100 block of Dundee Avenue , police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton said .
The officer spoke with the customer about the Illinois Department of Public Health 's guidelines about wearing masks while inside businesses and the customer left without further issue , Hilton said .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Officers seek to educate the community as to the importance of complying with social distancing efforts , '' she said .
The requirement to wear a mask or a face covering when in a public place where a 6-foot social distance ca n't be maintained started May 1 .
Face-coverings are required in public indoor spaces , such as stores .
The requirement applies to all individuals over age 2 who are able to medically tolerate a mask or face covering .
Police have responded to 256 calls about the stay-at-home order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mostly about groups of people not complying with social distancing in parks or other outdoor places , Hilton said .
No tickets have been issued , she said .
Some of the calls were about nonessential businesses staying open , but the exact number could n't be determined immediately because it requires reading each report , Hilton said .
By March 30 , there had been 36 calls regarding nonessential businesses staying open with one violation , although no ticket was issued , Hilton previously said .

17 calls, no tickets about face masks in Elgin
Elgin police have responded to 17 calls about people not wearing masks or face coverings since May 1, mostly about individuals who were outside and too close to others.
One call came at about 2:30 a.m. May 5 about a customer refusing to wear a mask at a gas station in the 1100 block of Dundee Avenue, police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton said. The officer spoke with the customer about the Illinois Department of Public Health's guidelines about wearing masks while inside businesses and the customer left without further issue, Hilton said.
"We have not issued any tickets for violations. Officers seek to educate the community as to the importance of complying with social distancing efforts," she said.
The requirement to wear a mask or a face covering when in a public place where a 6-foot social distance can't be maintained started May 1. Face-coverings are required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. The requirement applies to all individuals over age 2 who are able to medically tolerate a mask or face covering.
Police have responded to 256 calls about the stay-at-home order since it went into effect March 20, mostly about groups of people not complying with social distancing in parks or other outdoor places, Hilton said. No tickets have been issued, she said.
Some of the calls were about nonessential businesses staying open, but the exact number couldn't be determined immediately because it requires reading each report, Hilton said.
By March 30, there had been 36 calls regarding nonessential businesses staying open with one violation, although no ticket was issued, Hilton previously said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Ribfest organizers held out hope they could support 50 charities

Exchange Club of Naperville members say they waited as long as possible to cancel Ribfest in hopes they could find a way to save the event that raises money for roughly 50 organizations working to end child abuse and domestic violence .
The Fourth of July festival has generated more than $ 17.5 million for those causes since it started in 1988 .
This year 's celebration was scheduled to take place in Romeoville for the first time .
But on Sunday , organizers announced they could not safely hold one of the largest fests in the suburbs in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size restrictions included in the Restore Illinois plan .
Rick Grimes , Ribfest executive director , said thoughts of the nonprofits the festival supports kept club members looking for any possible way to host the event , which would have been featured four days of concerts and traveling rib vendors .
`` The challenge was all the money goes to charity and a lot of those agencies rely on us , '' Grimes said .
But when it became clear an event as large as Ribfest wo n't be possible until Phase 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it also became evident the event could not go on as scheduled .
`` As disappointed as we are not to have a Fourth of July with Ribfest , after all this hard work , the greatest disappointment is the impact of not being able to raise funds through Ribfest this year for those deserving nonprofit organizations , '' Chairman Bob Black said in a written statement .
The 33rd edition of Ribfest would have moved from its longtime venue in Naperville 's Knoch Park to Romeoville 's Deer Crossing Park .
Organizers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 2021 .
Grimes said the club also might work with Romeoville to plan a virtual fundraiser this year .
`` We look forward to hosting Ribfest in Romeoville come 2021 , '' Romeoville Mayor John Noak said in a statement .
`` We continue to have a strong partnership with the Exchange Club of Naperville and will continue to support its mission . ''
Organizers are considering options for booking musical entertainment for 2021 , and will announce developments as they arise .
Organizers also plan to release information about refunds soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ option of making a tax-deductible donation toward the Exchange Club of Naperville 's mission to prevent child abuse and domestic violence .

Ribfest organizers held out hope they could support 50 charities
Exchange Club of Naperville members say they waited as long as possible to cancel Ribfest in hopes they could find a way to save the event that raises money for roughly 50 organizations working to end child abuse and domestic violence.
The Fourth of July festival has generated more than $17.5 million for those causes since it started in 1988.
This year's celebration was scheduled to take place in Romeoville for the first time. But on Sunday, organizers announced they could not safely hold one of the largest fests in the suburbs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the gathering size restrictions included in the Restore Illinois plan.
Rick Grimes, Ribfest executive director, said thoughts of the nonprofits the festival supports kept club members looking for any possible way to host the event, which would have been featured four days of concerts and traveling rib vendors.
"The challenge was all the money goes to charity and a lot of those agencies rely on us," Grimes said.
But when it became clear an event as large as Ribfest won't be possible until Phase 5 under Restore Illinois, Grimes said, it also became evident the event could not go on as scheduled.
"As disappointed as we are not to have a Fourth of July with Ribfest, after all this hard work, the greatest disappointment is the impact of not being able to raise funds through Ribfest this year for those deserving nonprofit organizations," Chairman Bob Black said in a written statement.
The 33rd edition of Ribfest would have moved from its longtime venue in Naperville's Knoch Park to Romeoville's Deer Crossing Park.
Organizers are now beginning "optimistic planning" for 2021.
Grimes said the club also might work with Romeoville to plan a virtual fundraiser this year.
"We look forward to hosting Ribfest in Romeoville come 2021," Romeoville Mayor John Noak said in a statement. "We continue to have a strong partnership with the Exchange Club of Naperville and will continue to support its mission."
Organizers are considering options for booking musical entertainment for 2021, and will announce developments as they arise.
Organizers also plan to release information about refunds soon.
Ticket holders will be given the option of making a tax-deductible donation toward the Exchange Club of Naperville's mission to prevent child abuse and domestic violence.
• Daily Herald staff writer Katlyn Smith contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Lawsuit accuses Geneva nursing home of failing to follow coronavirus guidelines

The family of a Bria of Geneva resident who died from coronavirus complications has sued the nursing home , claiming it failed to implement adequate measures to prevent the spread of the outbreak .
The complaint , filed Monday , alleges the long-term care facility at 1101 E. State St. ignored directives from Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and guidance from other state and federal agencies , `` leaving its vulnerable residents defenseless against the community spread of the virus . ''
Bria of Geneva 's negligence , the suit says , led to the April 26 death of resident Helen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deteriorating rapidly .
Despite her symptoms and the facility 's assumption she had been infected , the complaint claims , Osucha had not been isolated or tested for the coronavirus before she died .
`` They essentially did n't protect neither the residents , nor their own employees , '' said Peter Flowers , the attorney representing Osucha 's estate .
`` They took absolutely no precautions to prevent against the spread of ( COVID-19 ) in a population of highly vulnerable people . ''
Bria of Geneva has experienced one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 112 cases and 22 deaths reported as of Friday , according to Illinois Department of Public Health data .
After its first case was confirmed April 17 , the nursing home did not procure sufficient testing kits for residents until about week later , according to the lawsuit .
By then , 55 residents had been diagnosed with the virus , and one had died .
The complaint also claims the facility failed to follow several preventive directives issued in March , including enforcing social distancing , ensuring accessibility to personal protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members , isolating residents with signs of the infection , and immediately contacting the county and state health departments about symptomatic residents .
In a written statement , Bria Health Services said the Geneva facility has been following public health guidelines , which have `` continuously evolved '' as more information about the virus has come to light .
`` Because testing was not immediately accessible , the high number of asymptomatic carriers among residents and staff created a silent enemy impossible to detect and difficult to defeat , '' the statement said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the state of Illinois has granted immunity to health care providers for injuries stemming from the diagnoses , transmission and treatment of COVID-19 . ''
More than 50 residents and 33 employees who tested positive have recovered or remain asymptomatic as of Monday , Bria officials added .
The lawsuit claims Osucha did not receive adequate care or treatment after she became infected in late March or early April , causing her to suffer `` severe and debilitating injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature . ''
She was bedridden and unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own , the suit says , and she died without the comfort of her family .
The facility also did not notify Osucha 's daughter , Pamela Colwell , that her mother had fallen gravely ill , according to the complaint .
`` They essentially hid it , '' Flowers said .
`` This family and many other families all deserved to know what was going on and were n't advised . ''
Colwell , administrator of Osucha 's estate , seeks in excess of $ 50,000 , plus attorney fees and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the suit .
Flowers also called for the state health department to `` take a more active role '' to ensure nursing homes follow proper protocol -- and shut down those that do n't .
`` They 're supposed to be the oversight and , frankly , they 're not , '' he said .
`` They need to be earlier and more responsive in these facilities . ''

Lawsuit accuses Geneva nursing home of failing to follow coronavirus guidelines
The family of a Bria of Geneva resident who died from coronavirus complications has sued the nursing home, claiming it failed to implement adequate measures to prevent the spread of the outbreak.
The complaint, filed Monday, alleges the long-term care facility at 1101 E. State St. ignored directives from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and guidance from other state and federal agencies, "leaving its vulnerable residents defenseless against the community spread of the virus."
Bria of Geneva's negligence, the suit says, led to the April 26 death of resident Helen A. Osucha, whose health had been deteriorating rapidly. Despite her symptoms and the facility's assumption she had been infected, the complaint claims, Osucha had not been isolated or tested for the coronavirus before she died.
"They essentially didn't protect neither the residents, nor their own employees," said Peter Flowers, the attorney representing Osucha's estate. "They took absolutely no precautions to prevent against the spread of (COVID-19) in a population of highly vulnerable people."
Bria of Geneva has experienced one of the state's largest and deadliest outbreaks, with 112 cases and 22 deaths reported as of Friday, according to Illinois Department of Public Health data.
After its first case was confirmed April 17, the nursing home did not procure sufficient testing kits for residents until about week later, according to the lawsuit. By then, 55 residents had been diagnosed with the virus, and one had died.
The complaint also claims the facility failed to follow several preventive directives issued in March, including enforcing social distancing, ensuring accessibility to personal protective equipment, regularly screening residents and staff members, isolating residents with signs of the infection, and immediately contacting the county and state health departments about symptomatic residents.
In a written statement, Bria Health Services said the Geneva facility has been following public health guidelines, which have "continuously evolved" as more information about the virus has come to light.
"Because testing was not immediately accessible, the high number of asymptomatic carriers among residents and staff created a silent enemy impossible to detect and difficult to defeat," the statement said.
"These form the backdrop of why the state of Illinois has granted immunity to health care providers for injuries stemming from the diagnoses, transmission and treatment of COVID-19."
More than 50 residents and 33 employees who tested positive have recovered or remain asymptomatic as of Monday, Bria officials added.
The lawsuit claims Osucha did not receive adequate care or treatment after she became infected in late March or early April, causing her to suffer "severe and debilitating injuries of a personal and pecuniary nature." She was bedridden and unable to eat or use the toilet on her own, the suit says, and she died without the comfort of her family.
The facility also did not notify Osucha's daughter, Pamela Colwell, that her mother had fallen gravely ill, according to the complaint.
"They essentially hid it," Flowers said. "This family and many other families all deserved to know what was going on and weren't advised."
Colwell, administrator of Osucha's estate, seeks in excess of $50,000, plus attorney fees and "further relief," according to the suit.
Flowers also called for the state health department to "take a more active role" to ensure nursing homes follow proper protocol -- and shut down those that don't.
"They're supposed to be the oversight and, frankly, they're not," he said. "They need to be earlier and more responsive in these facilities."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Elgin teen charged with involuntary manslaughter

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of another 16-year-old boy Saturday in Elgin .
He pulled the trigger of the 9 mm handgun , while the two were sitting on a bed , `` to see what kind of sound the hammer would make , '' Assistant State 's Attorney Patrick McCarthy said at a hearing in Kane County juvenile court Monday .
McCarthy told Associate Judge Sandra Parga the boy admitted to the shooting when he was interviewed by Elgin police .
McCarthy argued the boy should be held at the Kane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is heard , in part , because the boy 's actions were `` extraordinarily reckless . ''
McCarthy also said the teen may have access to other firearms if he is not monitored at all times , and noted the teen 's father travels out of the country for work and his mother has a full-time job at a fast-food restaurant .
Assistant Public Defender Brenda Covey argued for release , saying the teen has no criminal history , and while his parents are at work , two aunts who live in Elgin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The boy also is charged with unlawful use of a weapon , because he did not have a firearm owners identification card and is not eligible to have one .
McCarthy did not say if the gun was a revolver or pistol .
The boy 's next court date is June 1 .
Because he is charged as a juvenile , his name can not be published .
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. at a house in the 300 block of St. Charles Street , near Kiwanis Park on Elgin 's east @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the house .
Two people have started a GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral of the victim , Christian Leon .
One of the founders , Stefanie Gutierrez , posted on the `` What 's Happening in Elgin IL '' Facebook page , saying she is a cousin of Leon , and she and two other people were at the house when the shooting happened .
Gutierrez wrote that people were welcome to pay their respects `` in the place he ( Leon ) grew up and spent his last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be limited to 10 relatives because of COVID-19 restrictions .
`` We appreciate all the support and prayers we have received and are thankful to all those who have wished our beautiful boy a safe journey to find peace .
We know that he had some problems with others , everyone does but we sincerely ask , have some respect for those who are no longer here , '' she wrote .
`` Any issues that may have happened in life are no longer relevant after death .
If someone can not leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you do not hurt our family more by talking negatively about someone we truly love and is no longer here . ''

Elgin teen charged with involuntary manslaughter
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of another 16-year-old boy Saturday in Elgin.
He pulled the trigger of the 9 mm handgun, while the two were sitting on a bed, "to see what kind of sound the hammer would make," Assistant State's Attorney Patrick McCarthy said at a hearing in Kane County juvenile court Monday.
McCarthy told Associate Judge Sandra Parga the boy admitted to the shooting when he was interviewed by Elgin police.
McCarthy argued the boy should be held at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center while his case is heard, in part, because the boy's actions were "extraordinarily reckless." McCarthy also said the teen may have access to other firearms if he is not monitored at all times, and noted the teen's father travels out of the country for work and his mother has a full-time job at a fast-food restaurant.
Assistant Public Defender Brenda Covey argued for release, saying the teen has no criminal history, and while his parents are at work, two aunts who live in Elgin would keep an eye on him.
The boy also is charged with unlawful use of a weapon, because he did not have a firearm owners identification card and is not eligible to have one.
McCarthy did not say if the gun was a revolver or pistol.
The boy's next court date is June 1. Because he is charged as a juvenlie, Parga ordered his name not be published.
The shooting happened around 7:30 p.m. at a house in the 300 block of St. Charles Street, near Kiwanis Park on Elgin's east side. The victim was pronounced dead at the house.
Two people have started a GoFundMe account to help pay for the funeral of the victim, Christian Leon. One of the founders, Stefanie Gutierrez, posted on the "What's Happening in Elgin IL" Facebook page, saying she is a cousin of Leon, and she and two other people were at the house when the shooting happened.
Gutierrez wrote that people were welcome to pay their respects "in the place he (Leon) grew up and spent his last moments," because the funeral will be limited to 10 relatives because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"We appreciate all the support and prayers we have received and are thankful to all those who have wished our beautiful boy a safe journey to find peace. We know that he had some problems with others, everyone does but we sincerely ask, have some respect for those who are no longer here," she wrote. "Any issues that may have happened in life are no longer relevant after death. If someone cannot leave the anger and hatred behind we ask that you do not hurt our family more by talking negatively about someone we truly love and is no longer here."
• Daily Herald staff writer Elena Ferrarin contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Windy City Smokeout postponed to summer 2021

Country music fans will have to put their barbecue cravings on hold for a bit .
Organizers of the Windy @ @ @ @ @ country music , craft beer and barbecue celebration -- announced Monday that this summer 's @ @ @ @ @ until 2021 due to the coronavirus threat .
If public health concerns allow , the @ @ @ @ @ United Center location July 9 to 11 , 2021 .
In a statement on windycitysmokeout.com @ @ @ @ @ Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi will return for the festival next year .
Full refunds @ @ @ @ @ website until June 17 , 2020 , but organizers say tickets for this year 's @ @ @ @ @ next year .
Festgoers who hold on to their 2020 tickets will get a food @ @ @ @ @ year 's event .
In addition , for each ticket kept Windy City Smokeout will @ @ @ @ @ Chicago , an organization dedicated to providing food to front-line workers and underserved communities .

Windy City Smokeout postponed to summer 2021
Organizers for the Windy City Smokeout announced Monday that this summer's music festival would be postponed to next July, but that headliners Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley and John Pardi were set to return for it. Associated Press, 2017
Country music fans will have to put their barbecue cravings on hold for a bit.
Organizers of the Windy City Smokeout -- Chicago's country music, craft beer and barbecue celebration -- announced Monday that this summer's three-day festival has been postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus threat. If public health concerns allow, the festival will return to the United Center location July 9 to 11, 2021.
In a statement on windycitysmokeout.com, headliners Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker and Jon Pardi will return for the festival next year.
Full refunds will be issued at the website until June 17, 2020, but organizers say tickets for this year's fest will be honored for next year. Festgoers who hold on to their 2020 tickets will get a food and beverage credit for next year's event. In addition, for each ticket kept Windy City Smokeout will make a donation to Feed Chicago, an organization dedicated to providing food to front-line workers and underserved communities.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--New grocery concept, Costco to enliven East Ogden in Naperville

The dormant properties of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville are set to get a boost not only from the city 's second Costco , but also from a new grocery store , Mayor Steve Chirico said during his fifth State of the City address .
Developer Thompson Thrift is working with a national company to build a 35,000-square-foot space for a new grocery concept on the former Fair Oaks Ford property on Ogden just west of Naper Boulevard , Chirico said as he gave the address virtually Monday to the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce .
`` Now , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible development in Naperville , '' Chirico said .
`` This type of investment brings jobs and commerce and boosts our tax base , and it is how we can move forward . ''
The old Fair Oaks site is near the Ogden Mall property , the current home of a vacant Kmart that has been closed since 2013 and the future home of the second Costco warehouse in Naperville .
Costco plans to seek city council approval of its development plan for a store and gas station during a meeting at 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the past several years also have brought other new additions to the East Ogden area , including the first U.S. location of the Australian Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez , a new Culver 's and an early learning center called KLA School .
Farther west on Ogden , businesses have spruced up old sites with an Andy 's Custard , Burrito Parrilla Mexicana and a new strip mall including a Starbuck 's .
`` Focusing on the opportunities in this area instead of its challenges has led to creative solutions , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the works just east of the Fair Oaks Ford site , where Northbrook-based developer MZ Capital Partners is building 112 `` micro apartments , '' or small studio units , on the site of the now-demolished Regency Inn motel .
`` This was a unique chance to move the needle on the topic of affordable housing , '' Chirico said .
Chirico listed these as examples of economic progress while he addressed a virtual crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the chamber 's 30th annual State of the City meeting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said now is the time to reinvest in infrastructure , the local economy , the city government as an organization , shared values and the broader community to move into a new future post-pandemic .
`` Our infrastructure .
Our economy .
Our organization .
Our values .
Our community .
Together , these are the unshakable foundations of Naperville 's future , '' Chirico said .
`` And together , these are the foundations of a city whose residents care about one another .
Our future may look a little different now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kindness , compassion and generosity I see every day . ''

New grocery concept, Costco to enliven East Ogden in Naperville
The dormant properties of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville are set to get a boost not only from the city's second Costco, but also from a new grocery store, Mayor Steve Chirico said during his fifth State of the City address.
Developer Thompson Thrift is working with a national company to build a 35,000-square-foot space for a new grocery concept on the former Fair Oaks Ford property on Ogden just west of Naper Boulevard, Chirico said as he gave the address virtually Monday to the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Now, more than ever, we need to encourage responsible development in Naperville," Chirico said. "This type of investment brings jobs and commerce and boosts our tax base, and it is how we can move forward."
The old Fair Oaks site is near the Ogden Mall property, the current home of a vacant Kmart that has been closed since 2013 and the future home of the second Costco warehouse in Naperville. Costco plans to seek city council approval of its development plan for a store and gas station during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Efforts behind the scenes for the past several years also have brought other new additions to the East Ogden area, including the first U.S. location of the Australian Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez, a new Culver's and an early learning center called KLA School. Farther west on Ogden, businesses have spruced up old sites with an Andy's Custard, Burrito Parrilla Mexicana and a new strip mall including a Starbuck's.
"Focusing on the opportunities in this area instead of its challenges has led to creative solutions," Chirico said.
Another of these is in the works just east of the Fair Oaks Ford site, where Northbrook-based developer MZ Capital Partners is building 112 "micro apartments," or small studio units, on the site of the now-demolished Regency Inn motel.
"This was a unique chance to move the needle on the topic of affordable housing," Chirico said.
Chirico listed these as examples of economic progress while he addressed a virtual crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the chamber's 30th annual State of the City meeting.
He praised the city's resilience and said now is the time to reinvest in infrastructure, the local economy, the city government as an organization, shared values and the broader community to move into a new future post-pandemic.
"Our infrastructure. Our economy. Our organization. Our values. Our community. Together, these are the unshakable foundations of Naperville's future," Chirico said. "And together, these are the foundations of a city whose residents care about one another. Our future may look a little different now, but what hasn't changed is the kindness, compassion and generosity I see every day."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-17--Bob Frisk: He created the model for the right way to report on high school sports

The life Bob Frisk brought to high school sports makes his passing a big story to so many .
Bob would have preferred everything you are reading about him was devoted to high school athletes .
Although Bob would have deflected credit , that devotion is the reason you have been fortunate to read so many wonderful stories about the kids and their coaches and teams for decades in The Daily Herald .
There is no question Bob Frisk was the proverbial face of a franchise that grew exponentially across the suburbs from its coverage of just Palatine and Arlington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bob passed away peacefully Saturday after a long battle with cancer .
He was at peace in opting against treatment and fighting the battle his way .
Bob left us at 83 years young -- he would 've been 84 in June -- because of all the time spent watching games kids play .
There was no place like home like the sidelines of Prospect 's George Gattas Stadium for football , courtside for basketball in his beloved Arlington 's Grace Gym or at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic , behind the backstop for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Chic Anderson Stadium for the Palatine Relays .
There was value to high school sports Bob fully understood from his days as a track athlete for legendary coach and lifelong friend Russ Attis at Arlington .
Lessons he knew would last a lifetime for many athletes .
Excitement and raw emotion right down the street that did n't cost a chunk of your life savings to witness .
High school coaches outside The Daily Herald 's circulation area who also saw that value would ask , `` When are you guys coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a part of the quality high school coverage Bob built .
Coaches loved seeing him at their games .
One threatened to put Bob into action .
Buffalo Grove 's Rich Roberts , unhappy with the play of a quarterbacks , caught a glimpse of Bob nearby on the sideline and shouted toward the huddle , `` I 'll put Frisk in and he 'll run it better ! ''
Bob made sure there was nothing better than reading the Herald if you were a high school coach , athlete , fan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always some complaints as Bob had an `` Onions and Orchids '' file from when people had to express their thoughts through handwritten notes instead of emails or tweets .
When the newspaper industry was thriving , every Friday during the school year there were separate `` Sports Extra '' sections with 8 pages of prep coverage .
For a time they included extensive underclass reports .
What other daily newspaper this size did that ?
The commitment to high school sports gave our writers the ability to tell so many great stories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perseverance and overcoming adversity that Bob had plenty of and loved .
Bob compiled all-state track teams early in his career after covering the state meet when it was held in Champaign .
How would you like to open the paper and see a story and pictures of one of the greatest athletes ever , legendary Olympian Jesse Owens , from one of those meets ?
Baseball fans can find some of the most prodigious home runs in baseball history from Dave Kingman on YouTube .
In a game at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit 3 of the longest home runs Bob had ever seen by a high school player .
One landed on the street about 500 feet from home plate at what is now Larry Pohlman Field .
Millions of people witnessed the basketball success of Dave Corzine at DePaul and in the NBA for 13 seasons .
Bob saw the formative years when the big kid with the big hair led Hersey 's historic run as the first Mid-Suburban League team to reach the state basketball Elite Eight in 1974 .
And Bob was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quarterback who could n't get a major college scholarship offer at Rolling Meadows to a starter in this year 's Super Bowl for the 49ers .
He truly was a proud father when local athletes and teams succeeded .
Bob was also a great link to so many family tree sports stories .
From watching Andy Pancratz as a basketball star in the early '70s at Hersey to seeing his oldest son Mark orchestrate arguably the greatest story in Mid-Suburban League history when Schaumburg won the 2001 boys state basketball tournament .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ son Scott as a quarterback at Fremd and in the NFL .
From Ward Schell at Arlington to his son Teddy as a star quarterback at Barrington .
And from close friend Fred Lussow at Prospect to his sons as athletes at Hersey .
Bob was a major champion of making sure girls sports received significant coverage .
A memorable achievement was helping get the Prospect field house named after girls sports pioneer and close friend Jean Walker .
Bob understood the challenges women such as Walker , Pat Ritchie at Wheeling , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Barrington and many others faced in the early years of Title IX and how they paved the way for successful coaches that included Mary Fendley at Hersey , Jeanette Pancratz at Schaumburg and Nancy Lill at Hersey .
Not to mention basketball stars Candace Parker at Naperville Central and Tamika Catchings at Stevenson , who would go on to long professional careers .
Retirement from the Herald in 2008 , the passage of time and Bob 's recent health problems did n't diminish his youthful enthusiasm for high school sports .
Shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights he learned former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dick Bokelmann was also a resident .
Bokelmann pitched for the Arlington Cardinals in high school and was one of Bob 's idols as a kid .
Bob was ecstatic about the opportunities he had to share stories with Bokelmann before his death two days after Christmas .
He was equally excited that he could share one of those visits with a pair of Arlington grads and friends , Gary Brodnan and legendary American Legion baseball coach Lloyd Meyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sports was one of Bob 's passions .
From the camaraderie of Daily Herald All-Area banquets , to his innovative `` Pack The Place '' initiative for boys and girls basketball with the Illinois High School Association , Bob wanted the masses to experience the excitement he got from watching high school sports .
Bob 's visitation and funeral would be in a place packed with so many people sharing their memories .
Unfortunately that 's not possible now because of the pandemic .
The plan is to hold a celebration when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When it happens , Bob will be looking down and smiling at everyone sharing the kind of stories and memories he loved throughout his wonderful life .

Bob Frisk: He created the model for the right way to report on high school sports
Bob Frisk was the proud Grand Marshal of the 75th annual Palatine Relays in 2007. Frisk, the legendary former sports editor of The Daily Herald, passed away Saturday at 83. Daily Herald File photo
The life Bob Frisk brought to high school sports makes his passing a big story to so many.
Bob would have preferred everything you are reading about him was devoted to high school athletes. Although Bob would have deflected credit, that devotion is the reason you have been fortunate to read so many wonderful stories about the kids and their coaches and teams for decades in The Daily Herald.
There is no question Bob Frisk was the proverbial face of a franchise that grew exponentially across the suburbs from its coverage of just Palatine and Arlington high schools in the early 1950s.
Bob passed away peacefully Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was at peace in opting against treatment and fighting the battle his way.
Bob left us at 83 years young -- he would've been 84 in June -- because of all the time spent watching games kids play. There was no place like home like the sidelines of Prospect's George Gattas Stadium for football, courtside for basketball in his beloved Arlington's Grace Gym or at the Wheeling Hardwood Classic, behind the backstop for softball at Barrington or on the infield of Chic Anderson Stadium for the Palatine Relays.
There was value to high school sports Bob fully understood from his days as a track athlete for legendary coach and lifelong friend Russ Attis at Arlington. Lessons he knew would last a lifetime for many athletes. Excitement and raw emotion right down the street that didn't cost a chunk of your life savings to witness.
High school coaches outside The Daily Herald's circulation area who also saw that value would ask, "When are you guys coming over here?" They wanted to be a part of the quality high school coverage Bob built.
Coaches loved seeing him at their games. One threatened to put Bob into action. Buffalo Grove's Rich Roberts, unhappy with the play of a quarterbacks, caught a glimpse of Bob nearby on the sideline and shouted toward the huddle, "I'll put Frisk in and he'll run it better!"
Bob made sure there was nothing better than reading the Herald if you were a high school coach, athlete, fan or writer. Sure, there were always some complaints as Bob had an "Onions and Orchids" file from when people had to express their thoughts through handwritten notes instead of emails or tweets. When the newspaper industry was thriving, every Friday during the school year there were separate "Sports Extra" sections with 8 pages of prep coverage. For a time they included extensive underclass reports. What other daily newspaper this size did that?
The commitment to high school sports gave our writers the ability to tell so many great stories. Positive stories of hard work, perseverance and overcoming adversity that Bob had plenty of and loved.
Bob compiled all-state track teams early in his career after covering the state meet when it was held in Champaign. How would you like to open the paper and see a story and pictures of one of the greatest athletes ever, legendary Olympian Jesse Owens, from one of those meets?
Baseball fans can find some of the most prodigious home runs in baseball history from Dave Kingman on YouTube. In a game at the end of Kingman's career at Prospect, he hit 3 of the longest home runs Bob had ever seen by a high school player. One landed on the street about 500 feet from home plate at what is now Larry Pohlman Field.
Millions of people witnessed the basketball success of Dave Corzine at DePaul and in the NBA for 13 seasons. Bob saw the formative years when the big kid with the big hair led Hersey's historic run as the first Mid-Suburban League team to reach the state basketball Elite Eight in 1974.
And Bob was thrilled to see Jimmy Garoppolo go from the quarterback who couldn't get a major college scholarship offer at Rolling Meadows to a starter in this year's Super Bowl for the 49ers. He truly was a proud father when local athletes and teams succeeded.
Bob was also a great link to so many family tree sports stories. From watching Andy Pancratz as a basketball star in the early '70s at Hersey to seeing his oldest son Mark orchestrate arguably the greatest story in Mid-Suburban League history when Schaumburg won the 2001 boys state basketball tournament.
From Mike Tolzien at Prospect to his son Scott as a quarterback at Fremd and in the NFL. From Ward Schell at Arlington to his son Teddy as a star quarterback at Barrington. And from close friend Fred Lussow at Prospect to his sons as athletes at Hersey.
Bob was a major champion of making sure girls sports received significant coverage. A memorable achievement was helping get the Prospect field house named after girls sports pioneer and close friend Jean Walker.
Bob understood the challenges women such as Walker, Pat Ritchie at Wheeling, Ruthann Normann at Prospect, Pam Devins at Barrington and many others faced in the early years of Title IX and how they paved the way for successful coaches that included Mary Fendley at Hersey, Jeanette Pancratz at Schaumburg and Nancy Lill at Hersey. Not to mention basketball stars Candace Parker at Naperville Central and Tamika Catchings at Stevenson, who would go on to long professional careers.
Retirement from the Herald in 2008, the passage of time and Bob's recent health problems didn't diminish his youthful enthusiasm for high school sports. Shortly after Bob started his stay last fall at the Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights he learned former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Dick Bokelmann was also a resident.
Bokelmann pitched for the Arlington Cardinals in high school and was one of Bob's idols as a kid. Bob was ecstatic about the opportunities he had to share stories with Bokelmann before his death two days after Christmas. He was equally excited that he could share one of those visits with a pair of Arlington grads and friends, Gary Brodnan and legendary American Legion baseball coach Lloyd Meyer.
Sharing the joys of high school sports was one of Bob's passions. From the camaraderie of Daily Herald All-Area banquets, to his innovative "Pack The Place" initiative for boys and girls basketball with the Illinois High School Association, Bob wanted the masses to experience the excitement he got from watching high school sports.
Bob's visitation and funeral would be in a place packed with so many people sharing their memories. Unfortunately that's not possible now because of the pandemic.
The plan is to hold a celebration when it's considered safe to have big gatherings. When it happens, Bob will be looking down and smiling at everyone sharing the kind of stories and memories he loved throughout his wonderful life.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--What others are writing about COVID-19

What others are writing about COVID-19

The girl who died twice It 's a parent 's worst nightmare .
Your otherwise healthy 12-year-old starts feeling sick and then quickly goes into cardiac failure .
Other organs begin failing .
Doctors start talking about a transplant .
The Washington Post tells the story of Juliet Daly , one of the first known patients in the United States to be diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children caused by coronavirus . '
I ca n't turn my brain off ' : PTSD and burnout threaten medical workers The heroes are hurting .
Recent studies show soaring rates of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care workers treating COVDI-19 patients .
`` As the pandemic intensity seems to fade , so does the adrenaline .
What 's left are the emotions of dealing with the trauma and stress of the many patients we cared for , '' Dr. Mark Rosenberg said .
The New York Times explores the story .
How Anthony Fauci became the face of the pandemic -- and its merch There are Dr. Fauci T-shirts , mugs , masks and memes .
Vox explains how -- and why -- the soft-spoken director of the National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the face of the pandemic .
Where Chronic Health Conditions and Coronavirus Could Collide This interactive map from The New York Times shows how parts of the United States that have not seen major outbreaks of COVID-19 could still be at risk of serious illness because a significant portion of the population has underlying conditions , such as diabetes , obesity and high blood pressure .
You can search by county here .
In this op-ed Joseph Allen , an assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard T.H .
Chan School of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems on airplanes control airborne bacteria and viruses .
He also outlines additional precautions travelers , airlines and airports should take during the pandemic to stop the spread of infection .
Read his piece in The Washington Post .

What others are writing about COVID-19
People relax in marked circles for proper social distancing at Domino Park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn during the current coronavirus outbreak, Sunday, May 17, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
The girl who died twice
It's a parent's worst nightmare. Your otherwise healthy 12-year-old starts feeling sick and then quickly goes into cardiac failure. Other organs begin failing. Doctors start talking about a transplant. The Washington Post tells the story of Juliet Daly, one of the first known patients in the United States to be diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children caused by coronavirus.
'I can't turn my brain off': PTSD and burnout threaten medical workers
The heroes are hurting. Recent studies show soaring rates of anxiety, depression and insomnia among health care workers treating COVDI-19 patients. "As the pandemic intensity seems to fade, so does the adrenaline. What's left are the emotions of dealing with the trauma and stress of the many patients we cared for," Dr. Mark Rosenberg said. The New York Times explores the story.
How Anthony Fauci became the face of the pandemic -- and its merch
There are Dr. Fauci T-shirts, mugs, masks and memes. Vox explains how -- and why -- the soft-spoken director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases became the face of the pandemic.
Where Chronic Health Conditions and Coronavirus Could Collide
This interactive map from The New York Times shows how parts of the United States that have not seen major outbreaks of COVID-19 could still be at risk of serious illness because a significant portion of the population has underlying conditions, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. You can search by county here.
Airplanes don't make you sick. Really.
In this op-ed Joseph Allen, an assistant professor of exposure assessment science at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explains how the ventilation systems on airplanes control airborne bacteria and viruses. He also outlines additional precautions travelers, airlines and airports should take during the pandemic to stop the spread of infection. Read his piece in The Washington Post.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--The Deal at 30: 'Everyone kept waiting for something to happen in Prairie Stone'

This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power .
In the mid-2000s , Sears , the village of Hoffman Estates and a private developer decided to go into show business together .
They agreed to build the Sears Centre , an 11,000-seat entertainment venue that was expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people a year from across the region to watch top music acts and sports teams .
The village would finance the project with $ 55 million in bonds .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the notes .
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod reassured taxpayers that the arena would pay for itself -- and bring in an additional $ 1 million a year in tax revenues .
`` We 're very confident that the arena will be successful , '' he said in 2004 .
When the glittering arena opened in October 2006 , the debut acts were Duran Duran , Bob Dylan and Lionel Richie .
A number of minor league sports teams have called it home , most recently the Chicago Bulls developmental league team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for itself with truck pulls , bull riding , wrestling and mixed martial arts .
Local high schools celebrate graduations there and community groups hold book fairs and other events .
Still , the venue has struggled to fulfill its promise .
Since opening , it has never posted a profitable year .
When the private developers , Minnesota-based Ryan Companies US , threatened to walk away from the money-losing venture , village officials took over the center in 2009 .
Today , the Sears Centre is a demonstration of the risk of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars .
Hoffman Estates taxpayers are now on the hook to pay off the bond , which will cost $ 108 million over the full term of the note .
Government subsidies for cultural and entertainment venues are not unusual in the suburbs .
But Hoffman Estates ' support for the Sears Centre stands out .
A private project that was not supposed to cost taxpayers anything instead accounts for 14 % of the town 's $ 107 million annual expenses in 2018 , the last year for which figures are available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ arena 's expenses exceeded its revenues -- was $ 1.5 million .
Over the past decade , Hoffman Estates has used nearly $ 14 million from the general fund and other village accounts to help cover the arena 's losses .
McLeod blamed poor management and a recessionary economy for the arena 's financial picture -- now further clouded by the coronavirus pandemic , which may prevent large crowds from gathering in the near future .
`` I think it is working out successfully , '' McLeod said .
`` We got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got the Windy City Bulls . ''
McLeod , who voted for the original deal that brought Sears to Hoffman Estates as a village trustee in 1989 , acknowledges that development in the special taxing district as a whole has not lived up to all the promises made three decades ago .
But he said Sears Centre brought entertainment and income to the suburb .
Village officials said taxes from nearby businesses lured by the presence of the arena cover its annual losses .
`` It 's a great amenity with the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` We have a hospital that does n't pay taxes , but it 's a great amenity for our people .
Not everything is for profit . ''
The path to the construction of Sears Centre began in 1989 , when Sears , then Illinois ' largest private employer , threatened to move its headquarters from the famous Sears Tower in downtown Chicago to another state .
To keep Sears from departing , Illinois politicians awarded the company hundreds of millions of dollars ' worth of tax incentives to build its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Estates .
The business park , called Prairie Stone , would feature office buildings to hold a plethora of Sears ' vendors and suppliers that would , it was assumed , want to be near the retailer , as well as other big companies that would follow Sears to the village .
A second wave of hotels , restaurants and other stores and service shops , which Sears and village leaders likened to a town center , would turn the former farmland into an economic mecca .
All told , Sears headquarters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs , including Sears ' workforce , or so it was thought .
Hoffman Estates would grow larger and wealthier , its population expanding , its housing market heating up and its tax coffers overflowing .
But Prairie Stone showed problems from the start .
Months after Sears completed its corporate headquarters , the company built the first pair of office buildings .
The company halted work on two other planned buildings in September 1992 .
The reason ?
`` Low demand , '' according to a Sears spokesman at the time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to attract businesses , hampered by false starts and stalled projects .
Frustrated by the slow pace of development , Sears churned through three commercial real estate developers hired to market Prairie Stone in less than a year .
`` Everyone kept waiting for something to happen in Prairie Stone , '' said Ron Culp , a former vice president of public relations and government affairs at Sears .
`` I do n't think the buy-in was as big as [ Sears ] might have anticipated with the big brands putting operations out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was village manager when Sears came to Hoffman Estates , said Sears charged too much for land and rent .
And the company overestimated demand for office space .
`` We were asking : 'So what 's up ?
Where 's the development ? '
'' Burchard recalled .
`` And not much was happening .
It was pretty quiet . ''
Transformco , a holding company run by Eddie Lampert that now owns Sears , declined to comment .
Ryan Companies US officials declined to comment .
Since development was slow , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not produce enough in taxes to pay off the bonds that Hoffman Estates issued to finance the Sears project .
Under the terms of the agreement , Sears had to make up any shortfalls .
Between 1999 and 2007 , Sears paid nearly $ 83 million to cover deficits .
The jobs never materialized , either .
Depending on who was doing the counting , Prairie Stone generated somewhere between 4,300 and 11,000 jobs by 2016 -- less than a quarter of what was projected .
Nor did tax revenue growth live up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district to generate an additional $ 626 million in property tax revenues by 2012 , but it only generated about half that amount in inflation-adjusted dollars .
And parts of the area remain vacant .
Of the nearly 800 acres in the special taxing district , 184 are undeveloped .
The village was saved from having to use taxpayer funds to cover deficits .
But local officials did not receive nearly the revenue they were expecting .
Projections called for government agencies to receive a combined $ 175 million in tax revenues by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 years of the deal , local taxing bodies collected only $ 50 million , less than a third of what was originally forecast .
Hoffman Estates had long wanted to boost its profile and bring in additional tax revenue .
Neighboring Schaumburg was thriving as the region 's premiere commercial and shopping destination .
Rosemont , about 20 miles east on I-90 adjacent to O'Hare International Airport , had made big bets on an indoor stadium , a concert hall and a convention center , and it was paying off with new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visitors .
In 1998 , the village made efforts to attract the Chicago Bears and , in 2003 , it tried to lure the Chicago Fire professional soccer franchise .
Both attempts failed .
Then , in 2004 , an opportunity arose after voters in nearby Prospect Heights defeated a proposed entertainment arena .
Hoffman Estates saw a chance to replace Poplar Creek -- the beloved outdoor music venue that closed in 1994 after Sears demolished it for the development of the Prairie Stone business park .
Sears and village officials decided that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anchor an entertainment district within Prairie Stone that would deliver the shot of adrenaline the special tax district needed .
To build it , Hoffman Estates agreed to issue $ 55 million in bonds .
Sears donated 35 acres , took a 25 % ownership stake and purchased the naming rights .
Ryan Companies , the Minnesota developer that controlled the remaining 75 % , would build and run the entertainment center .
Besides civic pride , another underlying rationale of the arena was to increase revenues in the special tax district , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sears needed to pay off the money it had spent to build its headquarters , village roads and other infrastructure .
James Terrell , a vice president in charge of Sears ' real estate holdings at the time , and village officials pushed for the new arena , according to a summary of a deposition in a lawsuit between local Community Unit District 300 and Sears over revenue from the deal .
The arena `` would energize '' the Sears ' development , according to court documents summarizing Terrell 's viewpoint .
Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's park district board and a longtime Hoffman Estates resident , was part of a group of locals that wanted to stop the arena development in 2005 .
Rossiaky warned village leaders that an arena was a bad idea because unlike the Prairie Stone development , where Sears agreed to pay off any shortfalls in revenue flow , the village would be responsible for repaying the bonds if the Sears Centre failed .
`` They were closed off to what anyone said , '' Rossiaky said .
`` They did n't care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
McLeod and other proponents of the project argued that the Sears Centre would be the linchpin to creating an entertainment district called `` Poplar Creek at 59-90 , '' after the old concert venue by Route 59 and the I-90 tollway .
It would be a tourist destination that would include restaurants and a hotel and water park .
The new arena `` will put Hoffman Estates back on the map , '' McLeod said in 2005 .
`` This would be another feather in our cap . ''
After just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the developers -- blaming a bad economy -- threatened to let the arena go into default .
Instead , the village took it over in December 2009 .
`` Our biggest worry was that they would go belly up and they would stick Hoffman Estates with the bill , '' Rossiaky said .
`` And that 's what 's happened . ''
Over the past decade , the village has moved nearly $ 14 million from its general fund and other accounts to make up for the arena 's losses , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 150,000 in 2016 to a high of $ 3 million in 2009 .
Last year , the Sears Centre hosted 89 events -- far from initial estimates that projected 140 shows and games a year .
Village taxpayers now pay to keep the arena in business .
Between 2014 and 2018 , the most recent year available , the arena brought in an average of $ 10.7 million annually in operating revenue , while costing $ 12.4 million per year to run , according to village figures .
Each year , the village @ @ @ @ @ @ @ average deficit of nearly $ 2 million .
In addition , the village must pay for upkeep and improvements at the arena -- costs that , before the outbreak of the coronavirus , were projected to reach $ 2 million over the next seven years .
Since the village owns the venue , it no longer collects the more than $ 1 million a year in property taxes that the stadium used to generate .
McLeod blamed the center 's shortcomings on an inexperienced developer , poor marketing and a bad economy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it was put in was , 'We 're going to have many more venues around it , restaurants and all that stuff . '
And then the recession hit , '' McLeod said .
McLeod has not given up on Prairie Stone .
In recent years , a Main Event family entertainment center and a Duluth Trading Company retail store have opened , but only after the village added additional tax breaks to lure the businesses to the site : $ 750,000 in entertainment tax rebates for Main Event and $ 225,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cabela 's opened a hunting and fishing superstore in Prairie Stone in 2007 .
To snag the outlet , Hoffman Estates agreed to provide $ 18 million in tax rebates to the $ 2 billion-a-year company .
It also agreed to exempt from property taxes the store 's elaborate taxidermy dioramas and aquarium displays .
Those include `` Conservation Mountain , '' a two-story fiberglass mountain with artificial trees , a waterfall and stuffed animals such as deer , bears and waterfowl that occupies about 15 % of the store 's 185,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tax exemption would allow it to save $ 5.5 million in property taxes over 20 years , about $ 275,000 a year .
The logic ?
Under the agreement , the displays belong to the village .
And they have a special designation .
Cabela 's displays are now Hoffman Estates ' only publicly owned museum .
McLeod said the Cabela 's deal was worth it .
`` I 'm not particularly a big fan of this sort of stuff , '' McLeod said .
`` But it 's the cost of @ @ @ @ @ @

The Deal at 30: 'Everyone kept waiting for something to happen in Prairie Stone'
Thirty years after the tax deal that brought Sears headquarters to Hoffman Estates, the development that had been expected to spring up around it has been slow.
This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
In the mid-2000s, Sears, the village of Hoffman Estates and a private developer decided to go into show business together.
They agreed to build the Sears Centre, an 11,000-seat entertainment venue that was expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people a year from across the region to watch top music acts and sports teams. The village would finance the project with $55 million in bonds. The center would generate the revenue to pay off the notes.
Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod reassured taxpayers that the arena would pay for itself -- and bring in an additional $1 million a year in tax revenues.
"We're very confident that the arena will be successful," he said in 2004.
When the glittering arena opened in October 2006, the debut acts were Duran Duran, Bob Dylan and Lionel Richie. A number of minor league sports teams have called it home, most recently the Chicago Bulls developmental league team. The arena has built a niche for itself with truck pulls, bull riding, wrestling and mixed martial arts. Local high schools celebrate graduations there and community groups hold book fairs and other events.
Still, the venue has struggled to fulfill its promise. Since opening, it has never posted a profitable year. When the private developers, Minnesota-based Ryan Companies US, threatened to walk away from the money-losing venture, village officials took over the center in 2009.
Today, the Sears Centre is a demonstration of the risk of entangling private corporate interests and public tax dollars.
Hoffman Estates taxpayers are now on the hook to pay off the bond, which will cost $108 million over the full term of the note.
Government subsidies for cultural and entertainment venues are not unusual in the suburbs. But Hoffman Estates' support for the Sears Centre stands out. A private project that was not supposed to cost taxpayers anything instead accounts for 14% of the town's $107 million annual expenses in 2018, the last year for which figures are available. The operating loss -- how much the arena's expenses exceeded its revenues -- was $1.5 million.
Over the past decade, Hoffman Estates has used nearly $14 million from the general fund and other village accounts to help cover the arena's losses.
McLeod blamed poor management and a recessionary economy for the arena's financial picture -- now further clouded by the coronavirus pandemic, which may prevent large crowds from gathering in the near future.
"I think it is working out successfully," McLeod said. "We got a good general manager there. We've got the Windy City Bulls."
McLeod, who voted for the original deal that brought Sears to Hoffman Estates as a village trustee in 1989, acknowledges that development in the special taxing district as a whole has not lived up to all the promises made three decades ago. But he said Sears Centre brought entertainment and income to the suburb. Village officials said taxes from nearby businesses lured by the presence of the arena cover its annual losses.
"It's a great amenity with the community and the surrounding area," McLeod said. "We have a hospital that doesn't pay taxes, but it's a great amenity for our people. Not everything is for profit."
The path to the construction of Sears Centre began in 1989, when Sears, then Illinois' largest private employer, threatened to move its headquarters from the famous Sears Tower in downtown Chicago to another state.
To keep Sears from departing, Illinois politicians awarded the company hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of tax incentives to build its headquarters and a business park in Hoffman Estates.
The business park, called Prairie Stone, would feature office buildings to hold a plethora of Sears' vendors and suppliers that would, it was assumed, want to be near the retailer, as well as other big companies that would follow Sears to the village.
A second wave of hotels, restaurants and other stores and service shops, which Sears and village leaders likened to a town center, would turn the former farmland into an economic mecca.
All told, Sears headquarters and Prairie Stone would create 30,000 to 45,000 jobs, including Sears' workforce, or so it was thought. Hoffman Estates would grow larger and wealthier, its population expanding, its housing market heating up and its tax coffers overflowing.
But Prairie Stone showed problems from the start. Months after Sears completed its corporate headquarters, the company built the first pair of office buildings. The company halted work on two other planned buildings in September 1992. The reason? "Low demand," according to a Sears spokesman at the time.
Over the years, Prairie Stone struggled to attract businesses, hampered by false starts and stalled projects. Frustrated by the slow pace of development, Sears churned through three commercial real estate developers hired to market Prairie Stone in less than a year.
"Everyone kept waiting for something to happen in Prairie Stone," said Ron Culp, a former vice president of public relations and government affairs at Sears. "I don't think the buy-in was as big as [Sears] might have anticipated with the big brands putting operations out there."
Peter Burchard, who was village manager when Sears came to Hoffman Estates, said Sears charged too much for land and rent. And the company overestimated demand for office space.
"We were asking: 'So what's up? Where's the development?'" Burchard recalled. "And not much was happening. It was pretty quiet."
Transformco, a holding company run by Eddie Lampert that now owns Sears, declined to comment. Ryan Companies US officials declined to comment.
Prairie Stone's struggles hit Sears and local agencies hard.
Since development was slow, the property value of the district did not produce enough in taxes to pay off the bonds that Hoffman Estates issued to finance the Sears project. Under the terms of the agreement, Sears had to make up any shortfalls. Between 1999 and 2007, Sears paid nearly $83 million to cover deficits.
The jobs never materialized, either. Depending on who was doing the counting, Prairie Stone generated somewhere between 4,300 and 11,000 jobs by 2016 -- less than a quarter of what was projected. Nor did tax revenue growth live up to expectations. Projections called for the district to generate an additional $626 million in property tax revenues by 2012, but it only generated about half that amount in inflation-adjusted dollars.
And parts of the area remain vacant. Of the nearly 800 acres in the special taxing district, 184 are undeveloped.
The village was saved from having to use taxpayer funds to cover deficits. But local officials did not receive nearly the revenue they were expecting. Projections called for government agencies to receive a combined $175 million in tax revenues by 2012. Yet, over the first 20 years of the deal, local taxing bodies collected only $50 million, less than a third of what was originally forecast.
Hoffman Estates had long wanted to boost its profile and bring in additional tax revenue.
Neighboring Schaumburg was thriving as the region's premiere commercial and shopping destination. Rosemont, about 20 miles east on I-90 adjacent to O'Hare International Airport, had made big bets on an indoor stadium, a concert hall and a convention center, and it was paying off with new hotels, restaurants and an influx of visitors.
In 1998, the village made efforts to attract the Chicago Bears and, in 2003, it tried to lure the Chicago Fire professional soccer franchise. Both attempts failed.
Then, in 2004, an opportunity arose after voters in nearby Prospect Heights defeated a proposed entertainment arena.
Hoffman Estates saw a chance to replace Poplar Creek -- the beloved outdoor music venue that closed in 1994 after Sears demolished it for the development of the Prairie Stone business park.
Sears and village officials decided that a new sports and entertainment arena could anchor an entertainment district within Prairie Stone that would deliver the shot of adrenaline the special tax district needed.
To build it, Hoffman Estates agreed to issue $55 million in bonds. Sears donated 35 acres, took a 25% ownership stake and purchased the naming rights. Ryan Companies, the Minnesota developer that controlled the remaining 75%, would build and run the entertainment center.
Besides civic pride, another underlying rationale of the arena was to increase revenues in the special tax district, which had not delivered the returns that Sears needed to pay off the money it had spent to build its headquarters, village roads and other infrastructure.
James Terrell, a vice president in charge of Sears' real estate holdings at the time, and village officials pushed for the new arena, according to a summary of a deposition in a lawsuit between local Community Unit District 300 and Sears over revenue from the deal.
The arena "would energize" the Sears' development, according to court documents summarizing Terrell's viewpoint.
Michael Rossiaky, a trustee on the village's park district board and a longtime Hoffman Estates resident, was part of a group of locals that wanted to stop the arena development in 2005.
Rossiaky warned village leaders that an arena was a bad idea because unlike the Prairie Stone development, where Sears agreed to pay off any shortfalls in revenue flow, the village would be responsible for repaying the bonds if the Sears Centre failed.
"They were closed off to what anyone said," Rossiaky said. "They didn't care. They just wanted to bulldoze it through."
McLeod and other proponents of the project argued that the Sears Centre would be the linchpin to creating an entertainment district called "Poplar Creek at 59-90," after the old concert venue by Route 59 and the I-90 tollway. It would be a tourist destination that would include restaurants and a hotel and water park.
The new arena "will put Hoffman Estates back on the map," McLeod said in 2005. "This would be another feather in our cap."
After just four years of poor attendance and losses, the developers -- blaming a bad economy -- threatened to let the arena go into default. Instead, the village took it over in December 2009.
"Our biggest worry was that they would go belly up and they would stick Hoffman Estates with the bill," Rossiaky said. "And that's what's happened."
Over the past decade, the village has moved nearly $14 million from its general fund and other accounts to make up for the arena's losses, with amounts varying from a low of $150,000 in 2016 to a high of $3 million in 2009.
Last year, the Sears Centre hosted 89 events -- far from initial estimates that projected 140 shows and games a year.
Village taxpayers now pay to keep the arena in business. Between 2014 and 2018, the most recent year available, the arena brought in an average of $10.7 million annually in operating revenue, while costing $12.4 million per year to run, according to village figures. Each year, the village must use general funds to cover an average deficit of nearly $2 million.
In addition, the village must pay for upkeep and improvements at the arena -- costs that, before the outbreak of the coronavirus, were projected to reach $2 million over the next seven years.
Since the village owns the venue, it no longer collects the more than $1 million a year in property taxes that the stadium used to generate.
McLeod blamed the center's shortcomings on an inexperienced developer, poor marketing and a bad economy.
"I think part of the plan when it was put in was, 'We're going to have many more venues around it, restaurants and all that stuff.' And then the recession hit," McLeod said.
McLeod has not given up on Prairie Stone. In recent years, a Main Event family entertainment center and a Duluth Trading Company retail store have opened, but only after the village added additional tax breaks to lure the businesses to the site: $750,000 in entertainment tax rebates for Main Event and $225,000 in sales tax rebates for Duluth Trading.
Cabela's opened a hunting and fishing superstore in Prairie Stone in 2007. To snag the outlet, Hoffman Estates agreed to provide $18 million in tax rebates to the $2 billion-a-year company.
It also agreed to exempt from property taxes the store's elaborate taxidermy dioramas and aquarium displays. Those include "Conservation Mountain," a two-story fiberglass mountain with artificial trees, a waterfall and stuffed animals such as deer, bears and waterfowl that occupies about 15% of the store's 185,000 square feet.
Cabela's estimated that the tax exemption would allow it to save $5.5 million in property taxes over 20 years, about $275,000 a year.
The logic? Under the agreement, the displays belong to the village. And they have a special designation. Cabela's displays are now Hoffman Estates' only publicly owned museum.
McLeod said the Cabela's deal was worth it.
"I'm not particularly a big fan of this sort of stuff," McLeod said. "But it's the cost of doing business these days."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--State unemployment agency confirms data breach

SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Employment Security has confirmed that a new online portal that processes claims for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance briefly allowed public access to applicants ' personal information including Social Security numbers .
The system , which went online May 11 , is a federal program that provides unemployment benefits to gig workers and other independent contractors who are not normally covered by regular unemployment insurance .
The data breach was first made public Saturday when state Rep. Terri Bryant , a Murphysboro Republican , said in a news release that she had been alerted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
`` Through a series of just two clicks , this constituent stumbled upon the personal information of thousands of unemployment applicants on the IDES website , '' Bryant said .
`` This came up in a spreadsheet with thousands of names containing sensitive information .
The information she was able to access included the name , address , Social Security number , and unemployment claimant ID number of thousands of people . ''
In a statement Monday , the Illinois Department of Employment Security said its analysis found that one claimant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a limited number of claimants .
`` That claimant notified the department of the issue and within an hour , it was corrected to prevent any future unauthorized access , '' the agency said .
The state contracted with the international business services company Deloitte to build and maintain the web-based portal .
The Illinois Department of Employment Security said it is now working with the company to run a `` full-scale investigation '' into the problem while conducting additional tests to prevent any future data breaches .
It also said it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will release the analysis of its investigation once it 's completed .
Asked about the issue during his daily COVID-19 briefing Monday in Chicago , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said similar issues have occurred elsewhere in the public and private sectors but that the state and Deloitte were working to resolve the problem .
`` This , as you know , has happened in large corporations and other aspects of other governments around the United States , and we do n't like it happening here , '' Pritzker said .
`` Deloitte , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the glitch that was in there is something that was a result of the work that was done to build it , but they are offering credit reporting for all of those who are affected by it to make sure that they can monitor their credit in case there 's any problem they may undergo . ''
Meanwhile , the Illinois Department of Employment Security still encourages people covered by the program to continue filing for benefits through the PUA portal .
The agency said more than 50,000 claims have been processed through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides up to 39 weeks ' worth of benefits for qualifying workers who have COVID-19-related claims .
People with questions or who need help with unemployment benefits are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov .

State unemployment agency confirms data breach
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Department of Employment Security has confirmed that a new online portal that processes claims for federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance briefly allowed public access to applicants' personal information including Social Security numbers.
The system, which went online May 11, is a federal program that provides unemployment benefits to gig workers and other independent contractors who are not normally covered by regular unemployment insurance.
The data breach was first made public Saturday when state Rep. Terri Bryant, a Murphysboro Republican, said in a news release that she had been alerted to the issue by a constituent the previous day.
"Through a series of just two clicks, this constituent stumbled upon the personal information of thousands of unemployment applicants on the IDES website," Bryant said. "This came up in a spreadsheet with thousands of names containing sensitive information. The information she was able to access included the name, address, Social Security number, and unemployment claimant ID number of thousands of people."
In a statement Monday, the Illinois Department of Employment Security said its analysis found that one claimant had "inadvertently" accessed personal data for a limited number of claimants.
"That claimant notified the department of the issue and within an hour, it was corrected to prevent any future unauthorized access," the agency said.
The state contracted with the international business services company Deloitte to build and maintain the web-based portal. The Illinois Department of Employment Security said it is now working with the company to run a "full-scale investigation" into the problem while conducting additional tests to prevent any future data breaches. It also said it is working to notify affected individuals and will release the analysis of its investigation once it's completed.
Asked about the issue during his daily COVID-19 briefing Monday in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said similar issues have occurred elsewhere in the public and private sectors but that the state and Deloitte were working to resolve the problem.
"This, as you know, has happened in large corporations and other aspects of other governments around the United States, and we don't like it happening here," Pritzker said. "Deloitte, which built that system, and obviously the glitch that was in there is something that was a result of the work that was done to build it, but they are offering credit reporting for all of those who are affected by it to make sure that they can monitor their credit in case there's any problem they may undergo."
Meanwhile, the Illinois Department of Employment Security still encourages people covered by the program to continue filing for benefits through the PUA portal. The agency said more than 50,000 claims have been processed through the system so far. The program provides up to 39 weeks' worth of benefits for qualifying workers who have COVID-19-related claims.
People with questions or who need help with unemployment benefits are encouraged to visit IDES.Illinois.gov.