dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-02--First stand-alone tattoo parlor to open in Arlington Heights

What would become the first stand-alone tattoo parlor in Arlington Heights was approved Monday night by village trustees , in hopes of bringing more foot traffic to a strip mall beset by vacancies .
Space Cat Tattoo will occupy 1,050 square feet of the 33,000-square-foot Go-Go Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Golf and Goebbert roads on the south side of town .
The strip mall is home to a liquor store , laundromat and dry cleaners , among other businesses , but there 's been two or three vacant units there at all times in the last several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the first tattoo shop for Sean Kim , an Elgin artist who has performed work at a number of suburban tattoo shops for the last 13 years .
He 's leasing the space from Brian Properties .
Kim plans to operate three tattoo stations inside the storefront , where he and two apprentices will work .
Guest artists may also work at the shop a few months out of the year .
Without any objections , the village board unanimously approved a land use variation for the tattoo parlor to operate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The proposal also had the endorsement of the village staff and advisory plan commission .
While Kim 's store will operate as a stand-alone business , it 's not the only place in Arlington Heights where you can get a tattoo .
Alchemy Tattoo & Gallery operates within Sola Salon Studios in the village 's downtown .
Salons by JC also hosts tattoo artists in the Northpoint Shopping Center on Rand Road .
But those tattoo businesses did n't require additional approvals since they are considered accessory uses to their host 's primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's shop will not offer piercings .
Hours are scheduled to be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday on an appointment basis .

First stand-alone tattoo parlor to open in Arlington Heights
This tattoo is an example of the work of artist Sean Kim, who is opening a shop on the south side of Arlington Heights. Courtesy of Sean Kim
Sean Kim is opening his first tattoo shop in Arlington Heights after working at various tattoo parlors in the suburbs for the past 13 years. Courtesy of Sean Kim
What would become the first stand-alone tattoo parlor in Arlington Heights was approved Monday night by village trustees, in hopes of bringing more foot traffic to a strip mall beset by vacancies.
Space Cat Tattoo will occupy 1,050 square feet of the 33,000-square-foot Go-Go Shopping Center at the northeast corner of Golf and Goebbert roads on the south side of town. The strip mall is home to a liquor store, laundromat and dry cleaners, among other businesses, but there's been two or three vacant units there at all times in the last several years, officials say.
It'll be the first tattoo shop for Sean Kim, an Elgin artist who has performed work at a number of suburban tattoo shops for the last 13 years. He's leasing the space from Brian Properties.
Kim plans to operate three tattoo stations inside the storefront, where he and two apprentices will work. Guest artists may also work at the shop a few months out of the year.
Without any objections, the village board unanimously approved a land use variation for the tattoo parlor to operate in the Golf Road business zoning district. The proposal also had the endorsement of the village staff and advisory plan commission.
While Kim's store will operate as a stand-alone business, it's not the only place in Arlington Heights where you can get a tattoo. Alchemy Tattoo & Gallery operates within Sola Salon Studios in the village's downtown. Salons by JC also hosts tattoo artists in the Northpoint Shopping Center on Rand Road.
But those tattoo businesses didn't require additional approvals since they are considered accessory uses to their host's primary definition as a beauty shop.
Kim's shop will not offer piercings. Hours are scheduled to be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday on an appointment basis.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-03--Wisdom Family Foundation hopes to make 'Christmas Wishes' come true for Elgin-area kids

About 250 Elgin-area kids could have a happier holiday season this year with the help of the Wisdom Family Foundation 's Christmas Wishes campaign .
The second-year program connects donors who provide gifts to young children of families in need .
`` Last year , we successfully impacted 200 children in the Elgin/St .
Charles area , '' said Wisdom Family Foundation Director Heather Kirsebom .
`` It was incredible to hear the stories and see the connections that were made between our donors and the recipient families . ''
The kids get to pick one `` wish '' item @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and one `` need , '' such as clothing , shoes , books or winter gear .
Donor families will spend about $ 100 total per child and can write a letter or note to include with their gifts .
The foundation donates a $ 50 grocery gift card to the family for a holiday meal .
`` One of the big things that we want to do is not only donate dollars to the community , but also get community involvement , '' Kirsebom said .
`` It 's about ripple-effecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundation is working with the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin and Elgin Area School District U-46 to find families in need .
They have identified about 40 families , and hope to begin finding donor families starting Wednesday through Thanksgiving .
Kirsebom said people who want to get involved can fill out an online form at www.wisdomfamilyfoundation.org/christmas-wishes .
One thing that makes the program special , Kirsebom said , is the families are matched up and they communicate directly to each other about what the kids want and need .
`` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way , '' she said .
After getting the kids ' names , ages and lists , donors would normally deliver the gifts directly to the families .
Given social distancing requirements due to the pandemic , Kirsebom said , the foundation and the Boys & Girls Club will help with communication and providing mutual meeting places for drop-off .
Kirsebom said 65 families were helped last year and about $ 20,000 in gifts were given out .
`` It was very special and humbling , '' Dana Mueller , a donor last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the foundation .
`` A family of 4 and a sister with her 2 kids freshly arrived from Mexico .
7 in a 1 bedroom apartment ...
The kids from Mexico had never received a Christmas gift .
Ever .
There were tears and smiles and joy spread . ''
The Wisdom Family Foundation was started by Jeff and Kristi Wisdom and has been around since 2007 .
It works a lot with the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin and has awarded scholarships to U-46 students for the last 14 years @ @ @ @

Wisdom Family Foundation hopes to make 'Christmas Wishes' come true for Elgin-area kids
Last year, the Wisdom Family Foundation connected donor families to families in need to help about 200 kids. COURTESY OF THE WISDOM FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Wisdom Family Foundation is kicking off its second annual Christmas Wishes campaign to help kids in need in the Elgin area. Pictured are, from left, Jeff and Kristi Wisdom with their children McKenzie, Lily and Hannah Wisdom. Foundation director Heather Kirsebom is at right. COURTESY OF THE WISDOM FAMILY FOUNDATION
About 250 Elgin-area kids could have a happier holiday season this year with the help of the Wisdom Family Foundation's Christmas Wishes campaign.
The second-year program connects donors who provide gifts to young children of families in need.
"Last year, we successfully impacted 200 children in the Elgin/St. Charles area," said Wisdom Family Foundation Director Heather Kirsebom. "It was incredible to hear the stories and see the connections that were made between our donors and the recipient families."
The kids get to pick one "wish" item, such as a toy or game, and one "need," such as clothing, shoes, books or winter gear. Donor families will spend about $100 total per child and can write a letter or note to include with their gifts. The foundation donates a $50 grocery gift card to the family for a holiday meal.
"One of the big things that we want to do is not only donate dollars to the community, but also get community involvement," Kirsebom said. "It's about ripple-effecting change throughout the community."
The foundation is working with the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin and Elgin Area School District U-46 to find families in need. They have identified about 40 families, and hope to begin finding donor families starting Wednesday through Thanksgiving.
Kirsebom said people who want to get involved can fill out an online form at www.wisdomfamilyfoundation.org/christmas-wishes.
One thing that makes the program special, Kirsebom said, is the families are matched up and they communicate directly to each other about what the kids want and need. "It's a little bit more personal that way," she said.
After getting the kids' names, ages and lists, donors would normally deliver the gifts directly to the families. Given social distancing requirements due to the pandemic, Kirsebom said, the foundation and the Boys & Girls Club will help with communication and providing mutual meeting places for drop-off.
Kirsebom said 65 families were helped last year and about $20,000 in gifts were given out.
"It was very special and humbling," Dana Mueller, a donor last year, said in a statement provided by the foundation. "A family of 4 and a sister with her 2 kids freshly arrived from Mexico. 7 in a 1 bedroom apartment ... The kids from Mexico had never received a Christmas gift. Ever. There were tears and smiles and joy spread."
The Wisdom Family Foundation was started by Jeff and Kristi Wisdom and has been around since 2007. It works a lot with the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin and has awarded scholarships to U-46 students for the last 14 years, Kirsebom said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-02--Elgin's oldest house inches toward transformation into public space

Not much remains of Elgin 's oldest building after five years of intensive remodeling , but a city commission recommended Monday that work continue toward transforming the Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House into a public meeting space .
The 174-year-old home , at the intersection of Chicago Street and Crystal Avenue , fell into disrepair after being converted into multiple apartments .
It was then abandoned and boarded up by the city .
A conglomerate of neighbors , city officials and history buffs came together in 2009 to purchase the structure .
Renovation work began in 2015 with more than $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going into the rehab since then .
The property still needs about $ 100,000 of work before it can open .
But planning and zoning commissioners were tasked with considering future uses for the property via a request to build a parking lot .
Tied to the request was a list of permitted functions at the property .
That list includes everything from yoga classes and book readings to weddings and bar mitzvahs .
It 's those larger potential uses that raised some concerns from commissioners given the site has enough space only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even with a bridal shower you 're going to have more than seven people coming , '' said Commissioner Loretta Revesz .
`` How are we going to deal with the residents when people are taking their parking when they come home from work ? ''
City staff members pointed to an additional 11 parking spaces on Crystal Avenue .
There is also a parking lot about a block and a half away that can be used .
Officials from the Elgin History Museum said there 's been little demand for large party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They cited maybe one birthday party in the past decade , making weddings of 200 or more people a virtual impossibility , they said .
At 2,763 square feet , the home is not large enough to accommodate such a large gathering .
With that in mind , the commission unanimously forwarded a recommendation to the city council to approve the parking lot and a six-foot privacy fence as well as some shrubbery .
Elgin History Museum officials said they are aiming for the end of 2021 .

Elgin's oldest house inches toward transformation into public space
Not much remains of Elgin's oldest building after five years of intensive remodeling, but a city commission recommended Monday that work continue toward transforming the Nancy Kimball Cobblestone House into a public meeting space.
The 174-year-old home, at the intersection of Chicago Street and Crystal Avenue, fell into disrepair after being converted into multiple apartments. It was then abandoned and boarded up by the city.
A conglomerate of neighbors, city officials and history buffs came together in 2009 to purchase the structure. Renovation work began in 2015 with more than $475,000 in donated money and professional time going into the rehab since then. The property still needs about $100,000 of work before it can open.
But planning and zoning commissioners were tasked with considering future uses for the property via a request to build a parking lot. Tied to the request was a list of permitted functions at the property. That list includes everything from yoga classes and book readings to weddings and bar mitzvahs.
It's those larger potential uses that raised some concerns from commissioners given the site has enough space only for a seven-space parking lot.
"Even with a bridal shower you're going to have more than seven people coming," said Commissioner Loretta Revesz. "How are we going to deal with the residents when people are taking their parking when they come home from work?"
City staff members pointed to an additional 11 parking spaces on Crystal Avenue. There is also a parking lot about a block and a half away that can be used.
Officials from the Elgin History Museum said there's been little demand for large party space at the organization's existing facility. They cited maybe one birthday party in the past decade, making weddings of 200 or more people a virtual impossibility, they said.
At 2,763 square feet, the home is not large enough to accommodate such a large gathering.
With that in mind, the commission unanimously forwarded a recommendation to the city council to approve the parking lot and a six-foot privacy fence as well as some shrubbery.
Elgin History Museum officials said they are aiming for the end of 2021.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-03--Constable: 'Anticipation … or just chasin' after some finer days'

The song running through our heads today should be the 1971 hit `` Anticipation , '' by Carly Simon .
Anticipation can be a wonderful sensation .
You can feel the anticipation across our nation today .
And the apprehension .
And the angst .
And the dread .
And the trepidation .
And the fear .
And the anger .
And the sleep deprivation .
And the desire to scream .
And that shooting pain in your gut .
Welcome to Election Day 2020 , finally , where everyone agrees that this is the most important vote in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knows for sure how it will end .
We do n't even know when it will end .
Or , God forbid , if .
It 's difficult to compare this anticipation to anything else in our lives .
I had a nearly overwhelming feeling of anticipation on my wedding day .
I could n't wait to say goodbye to my past and get started on the new future with my wife .
But with that anticipation , I knew I 'd be married by the end of the wedding service , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that veil .
I 'm not making any predictions about whether our nation 's presidential choice will be Joe Biden or Donald Trump .
I made that mistake in 2016 , when I assured my very worried mom that Hillary Clinton boasted more governmental experience than any other presidential candidate in memory .
`` Mom , this is the United States of America , '' I told her more than once .
`` We 're not going to elect some reality TV blowhard to be the leader of the free world . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ great satisfaction in me being wrong about our nation 's appetite for Trump , feel free to enjoy this moment .
You might be able to prolong that feeling another four years -- or maybe you wo n't .
In 2016 , I spent election night at a Clinton `` victory '' party in her old hometown of Park Ridge .
That debacle was a stark contrast to the joy I witnessed the week before , when I was sure the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series against an inferior Cleveland Indians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the evidence suggested otherwise .
I did n't worry when the Indians led three games to one , or had games six and seven on their home turf .
But baseball has a finality this election will not .
We cheered the Cubs ' 8-7 victory in the climactic game seven .
But things might have been different if the umpires said we did n't have official results in yet from the 6th and 7th innings , and that might change the outcome .
There was no team of lawyers for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did n't make that series-ending throw to Anthony Rizzo .
Even when the other side in baseball can point to cheating from their opponents , the outcome does n't change , as the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox can attest .
It would have been frustrating if umpires eventually had to turn to the baseball commissioner or maybe a panel of nine Hall of Famers to decide the winner of the Cubs and Indians .
And they 'd tell us by January .
If that happens with this presidential election , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters will survive .
The anticipatory tension drove members of our family to vote early for the first time ever , ruining that buzz I always get from feeling part of the democratic throng on Election Day .
I 'm not sure if my wife and I will have the stomachs to watch the results come in Tuesday night .
And while Carly Simon used these words to end her `` Anticipation , '' I do n't think any of us will think of this time and conclude , `` These are the @ @ @ @ @

Constable: 'Anticipation … or just chasin' after some finer days'
The song running through our heads today should be the 1971 hit "Anticipation," by Carly Simon. Anticipation can be a wonderful sensation. You can feel the anticipation across our nation today.
And the apprehension. And the angst. And the dread. And the trepidation. And the fear. And the anger. And the sleep deprivation. And the desire to scream. And that shooting pain in your gut.
Welcome to Election Day 2020, finally, where everyone agrees that this is the most important vote in the history of our democracy, and nobody knows for sure how it will end.
We don't even know when it will end. Or, God forbid, if.
It's difficult to compare this anticipation to anything else in our lives.
I had a nearly overwhelming feeling of anticipation on my wedding day. I couldn't wait to say goodbye to my past and get started on the new future with my wife. But with that anticipation, I knew I'd be married by the end of the wedding service, and I also knew whose face was behind that veil.
I'm not making any predictions about whether our nation's presidential choice will be Joe Biden or Donald Trump. I made that mistake in 2016, when I assured my very worried mom that Hillary Clinton boasted more governmental experience than any other presidential candidate in memory.
"Mom, this is the United States of America," I told her more than once. "We're not going to elect some reality TV blowhard to be the leader of the free world."
If you are a voter who takes great satisfaction in me being wrong about our nation's appetite for Trump, feel free to enjoy this moment. You might be able to prolong that feeling another four years -- or maybe you won't.
Polls aren't perfect. Stuff happens.
In 2016, I spent election night at a Clinton "victory" party in her old hometown of Park Ridge.
That debacle was a stark contrast to the joy I witnessed the week before, when I was sure the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series against an inferior Cleveland Indians squad. My faith didn't waver after the evidence suggested otherwise. I didn't worry when the Indians led three games to one, or had games six and seven on their home turf. But baseball has a finality this election will not.
We cheered the Cubs' 8-7 victory in the climactic game seven. But things might have been different if the umpires said we didn't have official results in yet from the 6th and 7th innings, and that might change the outcome. There was no team of lawyers for the Indians arguing the Cubs' Kris Bryant didn't make that series-ending throw to Anthony Rizzo.
Even when the other side in baseball can point to cheating from their opponents, the outcome doesn't change, as the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox can attest.
It would have been frustrating if umpires eventually had to turn to the baseball commissioner or maybe a panel of nine Hall of Famers to decide the winner of the Cubs and Indians. And they'd tell us by January.
If that happens with this presidential election, I don't know how all the nervous voters will survive.
The anticipatory tension drove members of our family to vote early for the first time ever, ruining that buzz I always get from feeling part of the democratic throng on Election Day. I'm not sure if my wife and I will have the stomachs to watch the results come in Tuesday night. And while Carly Simon used these words to end her "Anticipation," I don't think any of us will think of this time and conclude, "These are the good old days."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-02--St. Charles City Council approves preliminary property tax levy increase

The St. Charles City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a preliminary property tax levy for 2020 that calls for an increase in the average resident 's property taxes by about 4.6 percent , an amount officials aim to reduce to 2.4 percent through non-property tax revenue streams committed to the debt service portion of the levy .
If the expected abatement occurs and the property tax levy is decreased by nearly half , St. Charles officials say the 2.4 percent property tax increase will equate to an approximate increase of $ 19 annually for the owner of a property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wo n't be official until the spring of 2021 after a public hearing in December and a tax levy ordinance is presented to the City Council for approval .
`` The increase represents about 4.6 percent , '' said St. Charles Finance Director Chris Minick .
`` However , that is a little bit of a fictitious number because we will never actually levy $ 23.9 million through property taxes . ''
Minick presented the preliminary report to the City Council on Monday with an initial levy amount of nearly $ 24 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 2019 reduced the levy by $ 10 million , should reduce the 2020 amount to an estimated $ 13 million , Minick said .
The estimated post-abatement increase of nearly $ 294,000 from the 2019 property tax levy corresponds with the increase in the Consumer Price Index and will go toward pension and other personnel costs , according to Minick .
`` What will happen is we will come forward in January with an abatement ordinance to actually remove that $ 10,836,000 from the property tax levy , '' Minick said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

St. Charles City Council approves preliminary property tax levy increase
The St. Charles City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve a preliminary property tax levy for 2020 that calls for an increase in the average resident's property taxes by about 4.6 percent, an amount officials aim to reduce to 2.4 percent through non-property tax revenue streams committed to the debt service portion of the levy.
If the expected abatement occurs and the property tax levy is decreased by nearly half, St. Charles officials say the 2.4 percent property tax increase will equate to an approximate increase of $19 annually for the owner of a property worth $300,000. The final levy won't be official until the spring of 2021 after a public hearing in December and a tax levy ordinance is presented to the City Council for approval.
"The increase represents about 4.6 percent," said St. Charles Finance Director Chris Minick. "However, that is a little bit of a fictitious number because we will never actually levy $23.9 million through property taxes."
Minick presented the preliminary report to the City Council on Monday with an initial levy amount of nearly $24 million. The annual abatement process, which for 2019 reduced the levy by $10 million, should reduce the 2020 amount to an estimated $13 million, Minick said.
The estimated post-abatement increase of nearly $294,000 from the 2019 property tax levy corresponds with the increase in the Consumer Price Index and will go toward pension and other personnel costs, according to Minick.
"What will happen is we will come forward in January with an abatement ordinance to actually remove that $10,836,000 from the property tax levy," Minick said. "It will never be extended."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-03--Feder: Election night coverage marks radio's 100th anniversary

`` We 'd appreciate it if anyone hearing this broadcast would communicate with us as we are very anxious to @ @ @ @ @ is reaching and how it is being received . ''
With those words -- uttered @ @ @ @ @ Pittsburgh 's KDKA Radio began what historians consider the first commercial broadcast in the United @ @ @ @ @ of November 2 , 1920 , the Westinghouse station carried results of the presidential election @ @ @ @ @ Harding and James M. Cox .
Get the full report , and more Chicago media @ @ @ @ @

Feder: Election night coverage marks radio's 100th anniversary
On the night of November 2, 1920, Pittsburgh's KDKA Radio carried results of the presidential election that day between Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox.
"We'd appreciate it if anyone hearing this broadcast would communicate with us as we are very anxious to know how far the broadcast is reaching and how it is being received."
With those words -- uttered by announcer Leo Rosenberg -- Pittsburgh's KDKA Radio began what historians consider the first commercial broadcast in the United States.
On the night of November 2, 1920, the Westinghouse station carried results of the presidential election that day between Warren G. Harding and James M. Cox.
Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-03--Dutch train caught by whale sculpture to be salvaged

SPIJKENISSE , Netherlands -- A salvage operation got underway Tuesday to lift a runaway metro train off a sculpture of @ @ @ @ @ where it landed after plowing through the end of an elevated section of rails .
@ @ @ @ @ balanced on the whale 's tail sculpture 10 meters ( 33 feet ) above the @ @ @ @ @ off the end of a metro line in Spijkenisse , a town on the southern @ @ @ @ @ train was empty at the time and the driver escaped unhurt , thanks to the @ @ @ @ @ .
Two large yellow cranes were working in tandem early Tuesday , first looping a @ @ @ @ @ the train as the operation began .
The local security authority said that it would @ @ @ @ @ sculpture in the afternoon .
It said the driver was interviewed by police Monday as @ @ @ @ @ the cause of the crash and allowed to go home .

Dutch train caught by whale sculpture to be salvaged
The whale's tail of a sculpture caught the front carriage of a metro train as it rammed through the end of an elevated section of rails with the driver escaping injuries in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Associated Press
A salvaging crew prepares to attach chain to lift to a metro train carriage of the whale's tail of a sculpture after it rammed through the end of an elevated section of rails with the driver escaping injuries in Spijkenisse, near Rotterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. Associated Press
SPIJKENISSE, Netherlands -- A salvage operation got underway Tuesday to lift a runaway metro train off a sculpture of a whale's tail, where it landed after plowing through the end of an elevated section of rails.
The train was left precariously balanced on the whale's tail sculpture 10 meters (33 feet) above the ground Monday, after plunging off the end of a metro line in Spijkenisse, a town on the southern edge of Rotterdam.
The train was empty at the time and the driver escaped unhurt, thanks to the whale tail's unlikely catch.
Two large yellow cranes were working in tandem early Tuesday, first looping a cable around the front of the train as the operation began.
The local security authority said that it would likely be lifted off the sculpture in the afternoon. It said the driver was interviewed by police Monday as part of the investigation into the cause of the crash and allowed to go home.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Pritzker says 'painful cuts' coming after graduated tax defeat

After the defeat of his signature graduated income tax rate plan he said would generate $ 3.6 billion per year more for the state , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker said Illinois Republicans will bear the blame for `` painful cuts '' in education , public safety and health care that will have to be made to balance the budget .
`` The opponents of the Fair Tax lied about what would happen if it passed , and they left all of the working people of Illinois holding the bag , '' Pritzker said Wednesday afternoon .
`` Now we 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought on . ''
Supporters of the vote to change the state constitutional mandate for a flat income tax rate conceded the race Wednesday morning .
`` We are undoubtedly disappointed with this result but are proud of the millions of Illinoisans who cast their ballots in support of tax fairness in this election , '' said Quentin Fulks , who led the Vote Yes for Fairness campaign .
`` Now lawmakers must address a multibillion-dollar budget gap without the ability to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share . ''
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ J.B. Pritzker 's administration have said that if the amendment failed , taxpayers could expect as much as a 20 % increase in income taxes across the board by the legislature raising the rate from its current 4.95 % to 5.95 % .
Pritzker left the door open to that possibility , but he also reiterated that cuts to public safety , health care and education -- perhaps as high as 15 % -- likely will be made because of the voters ' decision .
`` What is so pernicious about the anti-tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bunch of lies to get people to vote against their own self-interest , '' said Ralph Martire , executive director of the bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability , which supported the graduated income tax plan .
`` They lied to voters about making it easier to go after retirement income , but the Fair Tax would have shifted the need of the state to go after retirement income .
Now , retirement income is more likely to come on the table . ''
With about 98 % of the state 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of voters were against the proposal .
`` It is clear that Illinoisans do not trust this legislature and this administration to spend more of their precious tax dollars without restraint , '' said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch .
`` We believe we 're on our way to hearing from the electorate that Illinois needs a lot more than tax increases to fix our economy . ''
Gov .
J.B. Pritzker spent more than $ 50 million of his own money to support the campaign .
Billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppose it .
State budget experts estimated it would have generated about $ 3.6 billion per year for the state while reducing or maintaining the current income tax burden on 97 % of taxpayers .
The flat tax has been at 4.95 % since July 1 , 2017 , when it was raised from 3.75 % , with the increase largely funding K-12 education , public pension obligations and a backlog of bills .
The state tax rate was 5 % from 2011 to 2014 .

Pritzker says 'painful cuts' coming after graduated tax defeat
Voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have paved the way for a graduated income tax rate in Illinois. Daily Herald file photo
After the defeat of his signature graduated income tax rate plan he said would generate $3.6 billion per year more for the state, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois Republicans will bear the blame for "painful cuts" in education, public safety and health care that will have to be made to balance the budget.
"The opponents of the Fair Tax lied about what would happen if it passed, and they left all of the working people of Illinois holding the bag," Pritzker said Wednesday afternoon. "Now we'll have to suffer the pain they've brought on."
Supporters of the vote to change the state constitutional mandate for a flat income tax rate conceded the race Wednesday morning.
"We are undoubtedly disappointed with this result but are proud of the millions of Illinoisans who cast their ballots in support of tax fairness in this election," said Quentin Fulks, who led the Vote Yes for Fairness campaign. "Now lawmakers must address a multibillion-dollar budget gap without the ability to ask the wealthy to pay their fair share."
In the past, officials in Gov. J.B. Pritzker's administration have said that if the amendment failed, taxpayers could expect as much as a 20% increase in income taxes across the board by the legislature raising the rate from its current 4.95% to 5.95%.
Pritzker left the door open to that possibility, but he also reiterated that cuts to public safety, health care and education -- perhaps as high as 15% -- likely will be made because of the voters' decision.
"What is so pernicious about the anti-tax people is that they were packaging a bunch of lies to get people to vote against their own self-interest," said Ralph Martire, executive director of the bipartisan Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, which supported the graduated income tax plan. "They lied to voters about making it easier to go after retirement income, but the Fair Tax would have shifted the need of the state to go after retirement income. Now, retirement income is more likely to come on the table."
With about 98% of the state's precincts reporting, unofficial results show 55% of voters were against the proposal.
"It is clear that Illinoisans do not trust this legislature and this administration to spend more of their precious tax dollars without restraint," said Illinois Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Maisch. "We believe we're on our way to hearing from the electorate that Illinois needs a lot more than tax increases to fix our economy."
Gov. J.B. Pritzker spent more than $50 million of his own money to support the campaign. Billionaire Ken Griffin spent a similar amount to oppose it.
State budget experts estimated it would have generated about $3.6 billion per year for the state while reducing or maintaining the current income tax burden on 97% of taxpayers.
The flat tax has been at 4.95% since July 1, 2017, when it was raised from 3.75%, with the increase largely funding K-12 education, public pension obligations and a backlog of bills. The state tax rate was 5% from 2011 to 2014.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--COVID-19 hospitalizations continue 'alarming increase'

With 167 more hospitalized for COVID-19 Wednesday , Illinois has 3,761 patients in the hospital for the disease -- a figure that has more than doubled in less than a month .
`` We 're seeing an alarming increase in cases , which is adding about 10 patients a day , '' said Mary Lou Mastro , CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Health .
`` And from my perspective , staffing is our No .
1 concern . ''
Of those hospitalized statewide , 776 were in intensive care , which represents more than 20 % of the state 's ICU beds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health .
None of the state 's health regions are yet at warning levels that would warrant reducing elective procedures , but hospital administrators and state health officials are watching patients loads carefully .
`` We are monitoring capacity throughout the state , '' said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike .
`` We have a significant problem and we 're going to have to come up with a creative solution .
It is a very imminent issue . ''
State health officials Wednesday reported another 55 Illinois residents have died from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease were diagnosed .
That 's the second-highest single-day total of new cases the state has ever recorded .
Thirty-one of the deaths were in the Chicago area .
Health officials also reported 10.5 % of today 's 71,857 COVID-19 tests resulted in new cases , the highest rate since May 22 .
The statewide seven-day average infection rate is 8.5 % .
Suburban Cook , DuPage and Lake counties all had record high numbers of new cases Wednesday .
Combined , they accounted for 35 % of the state 's new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease stands at 9,933 with 437,556 residents who have contracted the virus since the outbreak began eight months ago .
Mastro said this surge in patients is more problematic than the first round last spring .
At that time , not only was Illinois one of the few hot spots in the country , the disease was mainly contained to the Chicago area .
Hospitals could rely on help from out-of-state or downstate medical professionals that were n't as affected as the Chicago area .
`` This disease makes the work more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and doffing of protective equipment and being the main communicator for the patients since they ca n't have visitors in many cases , '' Mastro said .
The entire state is under restrictions to tamp down COVID-19 spread , but the four suburban health regions all saw average test positivity rates increase again Wednesday and all are at 10.9 % or higher .
Continued increases could result in tighter restrictions , health officials said .
`` With this amount of disease in our community , it 's hard to think you could go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ezike said .
`` Cases are increasing exponentially .
We still need to work on the front end to try to limit the number of people who get sick .
Then we can slow down that need for hospitalization . ''

COVID-19 hospitalizations continue 'alarming increase'
With 167 more hospitalized for COVID-19 Wednesday, Illinois has 3,761 patients in the hospital for the disease -- a figure that has more than doubled in less than a month.
"We're seeing an alarming increase in cases, which is adding about 10 patients a day," said Mary Lou Mastro, CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Health. "And from my perspective, staffing is our No. 1 concern."
Of those hospitalized statewide, 776 were in intensive care, which represents more than 20% of the state's ICU beds, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
None of the state's health regions are yet at warning levels that would warrant reducing elective procedures, but hospital administrators and state health officials are watching patients loads carefully.
"We are monitoring capacity throughout the state," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. "We have a significant problem and we're going to have to come up with a creative solution. It is a very imminent issue."
State health officials Wednesday reported another 55 Illinois residents have died from COVID-19, while 7,538 new cases of the disease were diagnosed. That's the second-highest single-day total of new cases the state has ever recorded.
Thirty-one of the deaths were in the Chicago area.
Health officials also reported 10.5% of today's 71,857 COVID-19 tests resulted in new cases, the highest rate since May 22. The statewide seven-day average infection rate is 8.5%.
Suburban Cook, DuPage and Lake counties all had record high numbers of new cases Wednesday. Combined, they accounted for 35% of the state's new cases.
The state's death toll from the disease stands at 9,933 with 437,556 residents who have contracted the virus since the outbreak began eight months ago.
Mastro said this surge in patients is more problematic than the first round last spring. At that time, not only was Illinois one of the few hot spots in the country, the disease was mainly contained to the Chicago area. Hospitals could rely on help from out-of-state or downstate medical professionals that weren't as affected as the Chicago area.
"This disease makes the work more labor intensive, with all the donning and doffing of protective equipment and being the main communicator for the patients since they can't have visitors in many cases," Mastro said.
The entire state is under restrictions to tamp down COVID-19 spread, but the four suburban health regions all saw average test positivity rates increase again Wednesday and all are at 10.9% or higher. Continued increases could result in tighter restrictions, health officials said.
"With this amount of disease in our community, it's hard to think you could go anywhere and not be exposed," Ezike said. "Cases are increasing exponentially. We still need to work on the front end to try to limit the number of people who get sick. Then we can slow down that need for hospitalization."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Congressional race between Underwood and Oberweis still too close to call

With more ballots still needing to be counted , the 14th Congressional District showdown between Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville and Republican challenger Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove remained too close to call Wednesday .
That did n't stop Oberweis from proclaiming himself the winner in the afternoon , a move the Underwood campaign called premature .
After Election Day ballots in all of the district 's 462 precincts were counted , Oberweis led Underwood 189,025 to 188,130 , unofficial results showed -- a difference of 895 votes .
Statistically , they each have 50 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't include all the votes cast in the race .
Ballots postmarked by Tuesday that arrive at election authority offices by Nov. 17 will be counted , too , as will provisional ballots .
The 14th District includes parts of DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry , Will , DeKalb and Kendall counties .
More than 157,000 of the 703,850 ballots that had been requested by mail had yet to be turned in as of Wednesday in those counties , according to state election officials .
Not all were requested by 14th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race has not been called by The Associated Press .
Despite the uncertainty , Oberweis declared victory in a video released to social media .
`` Today , after contacting every county clerk across the 14th District , I am pleased to say that , with only a handful of outstanding ballots , it appears that we have won a tough fought campaign , '' Oberweis said .
`` I look forward to representing all the people of the 14th District in Congress . ''
Based on publicly available data , spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident the congresswoman will win reelection .
`` Jim Oberweis does n't get to call this election .
The voters do , '' Belknap said .
`` There are thousands of votes that have yet to be counted .
We appreciate every voter who made their voice heard , and our county clerks and election officials must count every ballot in as expeditious and transparent a manner as is possible . ''
As of Wednesday afternoon , Oberweis was leading in four of the district 's seven counties -- DeKalb , Kendall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other three .
Underwood has said she 's `` willing to wait patiently '' until all the votes are recorded .
Underwood , a registered nurse and bureaucrat before joining Congress , was part of the blue wave that gave Democrats majority control of the House in 2018 .
She beat four-term Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren of Plano in 2018 to win her seat , capturing more than 52 % of the vote .
Even without all the ballots counted , more people voted for her in this election than did in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , records show .
During the latest race , Oberweis repeatedly tried to paint Underwood as a left-wing radical .
He falsely alleged Underwood had called this year 's looting and riots `` beautiful protests , '' a claim disproved by the Daily Herald and the Better Government Association 's PolitiFact Illinois fact-checking enterprise .
Underwood ran a more positive campaign .
She focused on her accomplishments in office and her efforts to work across the aisle on legislation .
But Underwood took some shots at Oberweis , too , using forums and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , birth control and other issues .

Congressional race between Underwood and Oberweis still too close to call
Congressional candidate Jim Oberweis released a statement Wednesday in which he declared victory in the 14th District despite the race not yet being called. Facebook Video Screenshot
With more ballots still needing to be counted, the 14th Congressional District showdown between Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood of Naperville and Republican challenger Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove remained too close to call Wednesday.
That didn't stop Oberweis from proclaiming himself the winner in the afternoon, a move the Underwood campaign called premature.
After Election Day ballots in all of the district's 462 precincts were counted, Oberweis led Underwood 189,025 to 188,130, unofficial results showed -- a difference of 895 votes. Statistically, they each have 50% of the vote.
But those tallies likely don't include all the votes cast in the race. Ballots postmarked by Tuesday that arrive at election authority offices by Nov. 17 will be counted, too, as will provisional ballots.
The 14th District includes parts of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, DeKalb and Kendall counties. More than 157,000 of the 703,850 ballots that had been requested by mail had yet to be turned in as of Wednesday in those counties, according to state election officials. Not all were requested by 14th District voters, however.
Regardless, the race has not been called by The Associated Press.
Despite the uncertainty, Oberweis declared victory in a video released to social media.
"Today, after contacting every county clerk across the 14th District, I am pleased to say that, with only a handful of outstanding ballots, it appears that we have won a tough fought campaign," Oberweis said. "I look forward to representing all the people of the 14th District in Congress."
Underwood wasn't about to surrender.
Based on publicly available data, spokeswoman Andra Belknap said, Team Underwood remains confident the congresswoman will win reelection.
"Jim Oberweis doesn't get to call this election. The voters do," Belknap said. "There are thousands of votes that have yet to be counted. We appreciate every voter who made their voice heard, and our county clerks and election officials must count every ballot in as expeditious and transparent a manner as is possible."
As of Wednesday afternoon, Oberweis was leading in four of the district's seven counties -- DeKalb, Kendall, Lake and McHenry. Underwood led in the other three.
Underwood has said she's "willing to wait patiently" until all the votes are recorded.
Underwood, a registered nurse and bureaucrat before joining Congress, was part of the blue wave that gave Democrats majority control of the House in 2018. She beat four-term Republican incumbent Randy Hultgren of Plano in 2018 to win her seat, capturing more than 52% of the vote.
Even without all the ballots counted, more people voted for her in this election than did in 2018, when she received 156,035 votes, records show.
During the latest race, Oberweis repeatedly tried to paint Underwood as a left-wing radical. He falsely alleged Underwood had called this year's looting and riots "beautiful protests," a claim disproved by the Daily Herald and the Better Government Association's PolitiFact Illinois fact-checking enterprise.
Underwood ran a more positive campaign. She focused on her accomplishments in office and her efforts to work across the aisle on legislation.
But Underwood took some shots at Oberweis, too, using forums and interviews to criticize his stances on abortion, birth control and other issues.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Biden had 55% of overall suburban vote, though he lost in McHenry County

Early tallies from Tuesday 's presidential election reflect a growing blue trend in the suburbs for Democrats as Republican influence ebbs incrementally .
In 2004 , when Republican President George W. Bush ran for reelection and carried all of the collar counties , Democratic turnout for his opponent , Sen. John Kerry , in suburban Cook , DuPage , Kane , Lake , McHenry and Will counties averaged about 47 % .
In comparison , Republicans supporting Bush in the six counties accounted for 52.4 % of the votes .
Flash forward to Tuesday 's contest with President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend is reversed .
Preliminary tallies show suburban Republicans delivered 42.7 % of the vote to Trump .
Democrats in Cook and the collar counties handed former Vice President Joe Biden a 55 % average of all votes cast , although the president won McHenry County .
`` To be stupidly generalizing here , the Republican Party owns rural America and the Democrats own urban America and , typically , they fight over the suburbs , '' said former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh , a Mundelein Republican who ran against Trump in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 and in 2018 ... primarily because of Donald Trump , '' Walsh said .
Republican turnout for the president in the suburbs actually increased from 40 % in 2016 to 42.7 % this year .
`` That extra margin came from voters who realize he did a good job with the economy and jobs , '' said veteran DuPage Republican organizer Pat Durante .
Traditionally , when Chicago Democrats moved to suburbia in the 1950s and 1960s , they became Republicans , Durante recalled .
That shift is n't happening now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't get it .
They move to DuPage to get away ( from Chicago ) and they keep voting Democrat , '' he said .
Following Bush 's suburban sweep in 2004 , all of the Chicago area backed Barack Obama 's successful presidential bid in 2008 .
All but McHenry County did so again when Obama won reelection in 2012 , and all but McHenry County backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
The biggest chunk of Biden support in the metro region came from suburban Cook County , which delivered him 61.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DuPage with 57.2 % , Lake with 56.8 % , Kane with 55.4 % , and Will with 52.7 % .
`` Joe 's promise to fight for the middle class was key to his victory , '' Kane County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Guethle said .
McHenry County proved the outlier Tuesday -- again -- as Trump garnered 50.6 % , surpassing his 2016 victory in which he had 50.3 % of votes cast .
However , McHenry County Democrats also upped their game , giving Biden a 46.9 % tally compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
The remaining 2016 votes went to Libertarian and Green Party candidates .
Other totals for Trump were : 36.7 % of votes in Cook , 40.8 % in DuPage , 41.4 % in Kane and Lake , and 45.3 % in Will .
Democratic state Sen. Laura Murphy of Des Plaines remembers growing up in Park Ridge -- Clinton 's hometown -- when `` no one said the word 'Democrat . '
'' Now , `` the suburbs are a very mixed and diverse environment , '' she said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for change who played a role this election .
`` Character counts , '' Murphy noted .
Regarding demographic trends , `` Latinos are not a monolith , but from my perspective , I 've seen a lot of Latino support in my district and growing in others , '' Democratic state Sen. Cristina Castro of Elgin said .
Some tallies could change as 305,312 mail-in ballots are still outstanding in the six counties .

Biden had 55% of overall suburban vote, though he lost in McHenry County
Early tallies from Tuesday's presidential election reflect a growing blue trend in the suburbs for Democrats as Republican influence ebbs incrementally.
In 2004, when Republican President George W. Bush ran for reelection and carried all of the collar counties, Democratic turnout for his opponent, Sen. John Kerry, in suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties averaged about 47%. In comparison, Republicans supporting Bush in the six counties accounted for 52.4% of the votes.
Flash forward to Tuesday's contest with President Donald Trump seeking a second term, and the trend is reversed. Preliminary tallies show suburban Republicans delivered 42.7% of the vote to Trump.
Democrats in Cook and the collar counties handed former Vice President Joe Biden a 55% average of all votes cast, although the president won McHenry County.
"To be stupidly generalizing here, the Republican Party owns rural America and the Democrats own urban America and, typically, they fight over the suburbs," said former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a Mundelein Republican who ran against Trump in the primary.
"We lost the suburbs in 2016 and in 2018 ... primarily because of Donald Trump," Walsh said.
Republican turnout for the president in the suburbs actually increased from 40% in 2016 to 42.7% this year. "That extra margin came from voters who realize he did a good job with the economy and jobs," said veteran DuPage Republican organizer Pat Durante.
Traditionally, when Chicago Democrats moved to suburbia in the 1950s and 1960s, they became Republicans, Durante recalled. That shift isn't happening now, he said. "I don't get it. They move to DuPage to get away (from Chicago) and they keep voting Democrat," he said.
Following Bush's suburban sweep in 2004, all of the Chicago area backed Barack Obama's successful presidential bid in 2008. All but McHenry County did so again when Obama won reelection in 2012, and all but McHenry County backed Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The biggest chunk of Biden support in the metro region came from suburban Cook County, which delivered him 61.6% of votes cast, followed by DuPage with 57.2%, Lake with 56.8%, Kane with 55.4%, and Will with 52.7%.
"Joe's promise to fight for the middle class was key to his victory," Kane County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Guethle said.
McHenry County proved the outlier Tuesday -- again -- as Trump garnered 50.6%, surpassing his 2016 victory in which he had 50.3% of votes cast. However, McHenry County Democrats also upped their game, giving Biden a 46.9% tally compared to 42.7% for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. The remaining 2016 votes went to Libertarian and Green Party candidates.
"McHenry County Democratic candidates remain competitive in a red county," McHenry County Democratic Chairwoman Kristina Zahorik said.
Other totals for Trump were: 36.7% of votes in Cook, 40.8% in DuPage, 41.4% in Kane and Lake, and 45.3% in Will.
Democratic state Sen. Laura Murphy of Des Plaines remembers growing up in Park Ridge -- Clinton's hometown -- when "no one said the word 'Democrat.'" Now, "the suburbs are a very mixed and diverse environment," she said, adding that women are a significant catalyst for change who played a role this election. "Character counts," Murphy noted.
Regarding demographic trends, "Latinos are not a monolith, but from my perspective, I've seen a lot of Latino support in my district and growing in others," Democratic state Sen. Cristina Castro of Elgin said.
Some tallies could change as 305,312 mail-in ballots are still outstanding in the six counties.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Casten celebrates victory over Ives in 6th Congressional race

After a tough battle in Illinois ' 6th Congressional District , Democratic incumbent Sean Casten of Downers Grove on Wednesday celebrated a victory over Republican rival Jeanne Ives of Wheaton .
With Election Day votes counted in 638 of the district 's 640 precincts , Casten was leading Ives 184,809 to 167,629 , unofficial results showed .
Libertarian Bill Redpath of West Dundee had 6,188 votes .
That gave Casten about 51.5 % of the vote and Ives ' roughly 46.7 % -- enough for The Associated Press to pronounce Casten the victor in his quest for a second term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the media .
`` You have given me a tremendous amount of responsibility , and I can only hope to live up to your expectations , '' he said , promising more town hall-style meeting with constituents and more accessibility in the next two years .
Casten spelled out his priorities for his second term , too .
`` I will continue to advocate for our district on COVID relief , health care , combating climate change and job creation , '' he said .
Ives acknowledged her loss in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought hard , but in the end the power of the opposition was too great , '' Ives said .
`` The foundation of the Republican Party has been freedom , smart government and equality under the law .
My campaign believed in those principles and fought hard for them .
We did not run from this struggle . ''
The unofficial tally does n't include all the votes cast in the race .
In addition to the two overdue precincts , ballots postmarked by Tuesday that arrive at election authority offices by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will provisional ballots .
The 6th District includes parts of suburban Cook County as well as parts of DuPage , Kane , Lake and McHenry counties .
About 283,000 of the more than 1.1 million ballots that had been requested by mail in those counties had yet to be turned in as of Wednesday .
Of course , not all of those ballots were requested by 6th District voters .
As of Wednesday , Casten was leading in just DuPage and McHenry counties , and Ives was in front in the other three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McHenry were enough to give Casten the edge .
In an interview Wednesday , Casten said his team was confident as the totals rolled in .
`` It was trending positive all night , '' he said .
`` We knew what the numbers were . ''
Casten and Ives disagreed on nearly every issue , with each sharing their party 's views on abortion , gun control , President Donald Trump 's policies and more .
Ives bashed Casten 's record , his comportment and even his tweets .
Casten criticized Ives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on political and social issues , especially her questioning of mankind 's impact on climate change .
That was a key issue for Casten , the former CEO of an energy recycling company who made the environment a tent pole campaign issue .
`` The voters of the 6th District sent a resounding message , '' Casten said in his statement .
`` They voted for science and facts .
...
They acknowledged the climate crisis and decided we must do something about it . ''
Casten was part of the blue wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House in 2018 .
He defeated six-term Republican incumbent Peter Roskam of Wheaton that year , earning nearly 54 % of the vote .
Even though all the ballots have n't yet been counted , more people supported Casten at the polls this year than in 2018 , when he had 169,001 votes , records show .
Besides enjoying his victory , Casten on Wednesday was keeping an eye on the presidential race along with much of the world .
Casten backed Democrat Joe Biden , and he hoped several states still would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` There 's a lot of votes still out there , '' Casten said .

Casten celebrates victory over Ives in 6th Congressional race
Sean Casten, left, and Jeanne Ives, right, were the candidates for the 6th Congressional District seat.
After a tough battle in Illinois' 6th Congressional District, Democratic incumbent Sean Casten of Downers Grove on Wednesday celebrated a victory over Republican rival Jeanne Ives of Wheaton.
With Election Day votes counted in 638 of the district's 640 precincts, Casten was leading Ives 184,809 to 167,629, unofficial results showed. Libertarian Bill Redpath of West Dundee had 6,188 votes.
That gave Casten about 51.5% of the vote and Ives' roughly 46.7% -- enough for The Associated Press to pronounce Casten the victor in his quest for a second term.
Casten thanked voters in a statement to the media.
"You have given me a tremendous amount of responsibility, and I can only hope to live up to your expectations," he said, promising more town hall-style meeting with constituents and more accessibility in the next two years.
Casten spelled out his priorities for his second term, too.
"I will continue to advocate for our district on COVID relief, health care, combating climate change and job creation," he said.
Ives acknowledged her loss in a statement on social media.
"My team fought hard, but in the end the power of the opposition was too great," Ives said. "The foundation of the Republican Party has been freedom, smart government and equality under the law. My campaign believed in those principles and fought hard for them. We did not run from this struggle."
The unofficial tally doesn't include all the votes cast in the race. In addition to the two overdue precincts, ballots postmarked by Tuesday that arrive at election authority offices by Nov. 17 will be counted, as will provisional ballots.
The 6th District includes parts of suburban Cook County as well as parts of DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties.
About 283,000 of the more than 1.1 million ballots that had been requested by mail in those counties had yet to be turned in as of Wednesday. Of course, not all of those ballots were requested by 6th District voters.
As of Wednesday, Casten was leading in just DuPage and McHenry counties, and Ives was in front in the other three. But the numbers in DuPage and McHenry were enough to give Casten the edge.
In an interview Wednesday, Casten said his team was confident as the totals rolled in.
"It was trending positive all night," he said. "We knew what the numbers were."
Casten and Ives disagreed on nearly every issue, with each sharing their party's views on abortion, gun control, President Donald Trump's policies and more.
Ives bashed Casten's record, his comportment and even his tweets. Casten criticized Ives' support of Trump and her stances on political and social issues, especially her questioning of mankind's impact on climate change. That was a key issue for Casten, the former CEO of an energy recycling company who made the environment a tent pole campaign issue.
"The voters of the 6th District sent a resounding message," Casten said in his statement. "They voted for science and facts. ... They acknowledged the climate crisis and decided we must do something about it."
Casten was part of the blue wave that gave Democrats majority control of the House in 2018. He defeated six-term Republican incumbent Peter Roskam of Wheaton that year, earning nearly 54% of the vote.
Even though all the ballots haven't yet been counted, more people supported Casten at the polls this year than in 2018, when he had 169,001 votes, records show.
Besides enjoying his victory, Casten on Wednesday was keeping an eye on the presidential race along with much of the world. Casten backed Democrat Joe Biden, and he hoped several states still would break the former vice president's way.
"There's a lot of votes still out there," Casten said.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Palatine school shuts down in-person learning because of COVID-19 outbreak

Gray M. Sanborn Elementary School in Palatine will be closed for 12 days due to an outbreak of COVID-19 , officials in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 announced Wednesday .
`` This decision was made out of an abundance of caution after a COVID-19 outbreak in a central location within the building , '' Superintendent Laurie Heinz wrote in an email to parents and staff .
Teaching will take place remotely until Nov. 16 , during what the district is calling an `` adaptive pause . ''
An outbreak is defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health as two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place , she said .
The district 's COVID-19 dashboard shows that last week two Sanborn staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19 and another staff member was exposed to the disease within the school .
Three staff members and 16 students were in quarantine after exposure to the disease within the school as of Monday .
School was closed Tuesday for Election Day .
`` We know you will understand that we must place the health and well-being of our students and staff above our desire to stay open for face-to-face instruction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ returned Wednesday to another District 15 school , Kimball Hill Elementary School in Rolling Meadows , which had been closed for an adaptive pause since Oct. 19 due to COVID-19 cases .

Palatine school shuts down in-person learning because of COVID-19 outbreak
Gray M. Sanborn School in Palatine has been shut down until Nov. 16 because of COVID-19 cases there. Daily Herald File Photo, 2016
Gray M. Sanborn Elementary School in Palatine will be closed for 12 days due to an outbreak of COVID-19, officials in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 announced Wednesday.
"This decision was made out of an abundance of caution after a COVID-19 outbreak in a central location within the building," Superintendent Laurie Heinz wrote in an email to parents and staff.
Teaching will take place remotely until Nov. 16, during what the district is calling an "adaptive pause."
An outbreak is defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health as two or more cases connected by time and place, she said.
The district's COVID-19 dashboard shows that last week two Sanborn staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19 and another staff member was exposed to the disease within the school. Three staff members and 16 students were in quarantine after exposure to the disease within the school as of Monday. School was closed Tuesday for Election Day.
"We know you will understand that we must place the health and well-being of our students and staff above our desire to stay open for face-to-face instruction," Heinz said.
Meanwhile, students returned Wednesday to another District 15 school, Kimball Hill Elementary School in Rolling Meadows, which had been closed for an adaptive pause since Oct. 19 due to COVID-19 cases.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Constable: Stress declared winner, but we don't have to let it rule

If you are freaking out over the election results , stop it .
Why engage in a new freak-out about whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be named as president of the United States for the next four years when you could simply continue your old freak-out about how the coronavirus might kill 250,000 Americans by Thanksgiving and continues to separate us from loved ones , ruin our economy and threaten our very way of life ?
Then there 's always that everlasting question about what is wrong with the Chicago Bears ' offense .
Clearly , we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our phones have been ringing off the wall , '' says psychologist Denise Casey , founder and director of Barrington Behavioral Health & Wellness .
`` I have spent many hours with clients discussing their fears and concerns . ''
Nearly eight in 10 adults cite the coronavirus pandemic as `` a significant source of stress , '' according to the `` Stress in America 2020 '' report by the American Psychological Association .
Another 77 % of adults say the `` future of our nation '' is the source of their stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election drama , where half our nation is consumed with the frightening idea that the other half is a crazy and evil assortment out to destroy the country we love .
Nearly half of adults say stress has taken a physical and emotional toll .
About one in every five people report tension in their bodies , angrily `` snapping '' at people , experiencing unexpected mood swings or screaming at a loved one .
Not included in the study are the small percentage who carry an AR-15 to a peaceful protest or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven in 10 Americans ( 71 % ) say this is the lowest point in our nation 's history that they can remember , which makes me wonder if the other 29 percent are old enough to remember the Civil War .
But it 's our younger Americans who are most in danger of long-term consequences of persistent stress and trauma , according to the stress study .
Members of Generation Z , which includes everyone from age 13 to 23 , are facing `` unprecedented uncertainty '' and `` elevated stress '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the study says .
It 's stressful to worry about whether you 'll ever be able to go to middle school , high school or college , get a job , travel , have a normal date , or avoid getting punched in the mask or mouth by someone with a different political view .
People initially looked at the pandemic as `` a month at home , '' Casey says .
`` That sprint turned into a marathon . ''
Piling on the stress of this election has people saying , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' the psychologist adds .
In a world where we ca n't control whether the neighbors will wear masks or how the state of Pennsylvania votes , we can control our response .
`` Are we trying to escape , or are we doing things that will be life-giving ? ''
Casey asks .
`` What are your COVID bonuses ? ''
she says , noting patients found comfort in everything from comfy slippers and cooking to therapy dogs and nature walks .
Our autonomic nervous system gives us sympathetic responses known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responses known as `` rest and digest . ''
One is exciting , and the other is calming .
`` We keep our foot on the pedal of stress by the perception of threat , '' she says .
Taking a nature walk , playing with a dog , cooking a tasty meal , or simply being kind and helping other people is healthier than eating a pint of ice-cream while glued to the toxicity of all those posts on social media .
`` Ultimately , people want to feel safe , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ avoiding anything stressful .
`` You function at your best when you have an optional level of stress , '' Casey says .
`` Stress can be good . ''
Take comfort in the fact that people are not just giving up and curling into the fetal position .
`` Regardless of what side you were on , people came out in record-breaking droves to vote , '' she says .
Things could improve .
`` One more thing that is vital to coping -- hope , '' Casey says .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

Constable: Stress declared winner in 2020, but we don't have to let it rule
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden speak to supporters Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, as the nation tries to make sense of our stressful election results. Associated Press
The election of 2020 leaves a pile of stress in its wake, as President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House, early Wednesday. Associated Press
Stress can be disruptive, but learning how to deal with it can be rewarding, says psychologist Denise Casey, founder and director of Barrington Behavioral Health & Wellness. Courtesy of Robert E. Potter III
Diane Spiteri clutches her absentee ballot before dropping it off at the city clerk's office in Warren, Mich., Wednesday. "I just can't wait until the whole thing is over. And I think it's long from over, even after Tuesday. There's just so much anxiety," she said. Associated press
If you are freaking out over the election results, stop it.
Why engage in a new freak-out about whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden will be named as president of the United States for the next four years when you could simply continue your old freak-out about how the coronavirus might kill 250,000 Americans by Thanksgiving and continues to separate us from loved ones, ruin our economy and threaten our very way of life?
Then there's always that everlasting question about what is wrong with the Chicago Bears' offense.
Clearly, we have a lot to stress about.
"Our phones have been ringing off the wall," says psychologist Denise Casey, founder and director of Barrington Behavioral Health & Wellness. "I have spent many hours with clients discussing their fears and concerns."
Nearly eight in 10 adults cite the coronavirus pandemic as "a significant source of stress," according to the "Stress in America 2020" report by the American Psychological Association. Another 77% of adults say the "future of our nation" is the source of their stress. And that was before our current election drama, where half our nation is consumed with the frightening idea that the other half is a crazy and evil assortment out to destroy the country we love.
Nearly half of adults say stress has taken a physical and emotional toll. About one in every five people report tension in their bodies, angrily "snapping" at people, experiencing unexpected mood swings or screaming at a loved one. Not included in the study are the small percentage who carry an AR-15 to a peaceful protest or loot a liquor store.
More than seven in 10 Americans (71%) say this is the lowest point in our nation's history that they can remember, which makes me wonder if the other 29 percent are old enough to remember the Civil War. But it's our younger Americans who are most in danger of long-term consequences of persistent stress and trauma, according to the stress study.
Members of Generation Z, which includes everyone from age 13 to 23, are facing "unprecedented uncertainty" and "elevated stress" and already report symptoms of depression, the study says. It's stressful to worry about whether you'll ever be able to go to middle school, high school or college, get a job, travel, have a normal date, or avoid getting punched in the mask or mouth by someone with a different political view.
People initially looked at the pandemic as "a month at home," Casey says. "That sprint turned into a marathon."
Piling on the stress of this election has people saying, "I can't believe my neighbors," the psychologist adds.
In a world where we can't control whether the neighbors will wear masks or how the state of Pennsylvania votes, we can control our response. "Are we trying to escape, or are we doing things that will be life-giving?" Casey asks.
"What are your COVID bonuses?" she says, noting patients found comfort in everything from comfy slippers and cooking to therapy dogs and nature walks.
Our autonomic nervous system gives us sympathetic responses known as "fight or flight" and parasympathetic responses known as "rest and digest." One is exciting, and the other is calming.
"We keep our foot on the pedal of stress by the perception of threat," she says.
Taking a nature walk, playing with a dog, cooking a tasty meal, or simply being kind and helping other people is healthier than eating a pint of ice-cream while glued to the toxicity of all those posts on social media.
"Ultimately, people want to feel safe," Casey says. That doesn't mean avoiding anything stressful.
"You function at your best when you have an optional level of stress," Casey says. "Stress can be good."
Take comfort in the fact that people are not just giving up and curling into the fetal position.
"Regardless of what side you were on, people came out in record-breaking droves to vote," she says. Things could improve.
"One more thing that is vital to coping -- hope," Casey says. "We always need to hold on to hope."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--'A very stressful situation': Why election night results were delayed in DuPage, Lake counties

A technical snafu , voting machine errors and an onslaught of data contributed to election night reporting delays in DuPage and Lake counties , where unofficial results remained murky several hours after the polls closed Tuesday .
The DuPage County clerk 's office had posted some early and vote-by-mail counts , but none from its 930 precincts , before a 45-minute glitch snarled the transfer of data from the tabulation system to the website , Chief Deputy County Clerk Adam Johnson said .
Tallies were n't updated again until well after 10 p.m. , and vote totals from all precincts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In Lake County , day-of election totals were posted first , as is tradition , followed by a final wave encompassing early and mail-in votes at 1:30 a.m. , Clerk Robin O'Connor said .
She attributed the delay to two factors : Addressing problems with two on-site voting machines that were not properly tabulating results , and helping 600 new election judges navigate Election Day procedures .
A slew of tight races in DuPage , paired with the national attention placed on vote-counting processes , resulted in a `` very stressful situation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tool froze , Johnson said .
Election judges continued tabulating votes while the technical problems were being addressed , he said .
Election authorities anticipated processing a high volume of ballots , Johnson said , and aside from the glitch , everything went according to plan .
Additional vote-by-mail ballots were being processed Wednesday , with more expected to roll in over the next two weeks , he said , and the clerk 's office communicated frequently with party leaders on both sides .
But DuPage County Republican Party Chairman Jim Zay called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state 's second-largest county should be better equipped to handle the election night rush .
`` We 've had too many elections that we 've had these issues , '' he said .
`` It has to be fixed . ''
Johnson acknowledged the county 's systems are slow and outdated , adding to what is already a high-pressure situation for candidates , voters and election officials .
`` We 're being as transparent as possible , '' he said .
`` We have a constant inflow of ballots ... and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update over the course of the evening . ''
• Daily Herald staff writers Doug T. Graham and Katlyn Smith contributed to this report .

'A very stressful situation': Why election night results were delayed in DuPage, Lake counties
A technical snafu, voting machine errors and an onslaught of data contributed to election night reporting delays in DuPage and Lake counties, where unofficial results remained murky several hours after the polls closed Tuesday.
The DuPage County clerk's office had posted some early and vote-by-mail counts, but none from its 930 precincts, before a 45-minute glitch snarled the transfer of data from the tabulation system to the website, Chief Deputy County Clerk Adam Johnson said. Tallies weren't updated again until well after 10 p.m., and vote totals from all precincts weren't posted until 1 a.m.
In Lake County, day-of election totals were posted first, as is tradition, followed by a final wave encompassing early and mail-in votes at 1:30 a.m., Clerk Robin O'Connor said. She attributed the delay to two factors: Addressing problems with two on-site voting machines that were not properly tabulating results, and helping 600 new election judges navigate Election Day procedures.
A slew of tight races in DuPage, paired with the national attention placed on vote-counting processes, resulted in a "very stressful situation," made worse when the data export tool froze, Johnson said. Election judges continued tabulating votes while the technical problems were being addressed, he said.
Election authorities anticipated processing a high volume of ballots, Johnson said, and aside from the glitch, everything went according to plan. Additional vote-by-mail ballots were being processed Wednesday, with more expected to roll in over the next two weeks, he said, and the clerk's office communicated frequently with party leaders on both sides.
But DuPage County Republican Party Chairman Jim Zay called the delay "unacceptable," saying the state's second-largest county should be better equipped to handle the election night rush.
"We've had too many elections that we've had these issues," he said. "It has to be fixed."
Johnson acknowledged the county's systems are slow and outdated, adding to what is already a high-pressure situation for candidates, voters and election officials.
"We're being as transparent as possible," he said. "We have a constant inflow of ballots ... and we just had a lot of data to update over the course of the evening."
• Daily Herald staff writers Doug T. Graham and Katlyn Smith contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--AP: Biden wins Michigan, flipping another state

Democrat Joe Biden has carried Michigan and its 16 electoral votes , further dismantling Donald Trump 's Rust Belt wall of support that helped deliver him the presidency four years ago .
The flip from red back to blue was a huge blow to Trump , whose victories in Michigan , Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2016 sent him to the White House .
Biden also carried Wisconsin , though Pennsylvania has n't been called yet .
Biden 's victory in Michigan pushes him to 264 Electoral College votes , six short of the 270 needed to win the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Nevada , which has 6 electoral votes , is among the states Democrat Hillary Clinton won in 2016 that has n't yet been called .
Biden 's campaign had particularly focused on turning out Black voters in Detroit , who failed to show up for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the numbers that Barack Obama received during his two presidential bids .
Despite needing to win Michigan , Trump took frequent swipes at the state 's Democratic governor , Gretchen Whitmer , who was the target of an alleged kidnapping plot that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` Lock her up ! ''
toward Whitmer echoed at Trump 's rally , and he railed against the governor on Twitter for her cautious approach to the coronavirus pandemic .
Earlier in the day , The Associated Press called Wisconsin for Biden after election officials in the state said all outstanding ballots had been counted , save for a few hundred in one township and an expected small number of provisional ballots .
Statewide recounts in Wisconsin have historically changed the vote tally by only a few hundred votes ; Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 3.3 million ballots counted .
The victory for Biden bumps him up to 248 electoral votes , while Trump has 214 .
It takes 270 to win the presidency .
In 2016 , Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes , a breakthrough that along with wins in Michigan and Pennsylvania helped hand him his first term in the White House .
Democrats were determined to reclaim Wisconsin , a state that before Trump had n't gone for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984 .

AP: Biden wins Michigan, flipping another state
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, wave Tuesday to supporters in Wilmington, Delaware. Associated Press
Democrat Joe Biden has carried Michigan and its 16 electoral votes, further dismantling Donald Trump's Rust Belt wall of support that helped deliver him the presidency four years ago.
The flip from red back to blue was a huge blow to Trump, whose victories in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania in 2016 sent him to the White House. Biden also carried Wisconsin, though Pennsylvania hasn't been called yet.
Biden's victory in Michigan pushes him to 264 Electoral College votes, six short of the 270 needed to win the White House. Trump is at 214 electoral votes. Nevada, which has 6 electoral votes, is among the states Democrat Hillary Clinton won in 2016 that hasn't yet been called.
Biden's campaign had particularly focused on turning out Black voters in Detroit, who failed to show up for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the numbers that Barack Obama received during his two presidential bids.
Despite needing to win Michigan, Trump took frequent swipes at the state's Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, who was the target of an alleged kidnapping plot that was foiled by federal law enforcement. Chants of "Lock her up!" toward Whitmer echoed at Trump's rally, and he railed against the governor on Twitter for her cautious approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, The Associated Press called Wisconsin for Biden after election officials in the state said all outstanding ballots had been counted, save for a few hundred in one township and an expected small number of provisional ballots.
Trump's campaign has requested a recount.
Statewide recounts in Wisconsin have historically changed the vote tally by only a few hundred votes; Biden leads by .624 percentage points out of nearly 3.3 million ballots counted.
The victory for Biden bumps him up to 248 electoral votes, while Trump has 214. It takes 270 to win the presidency.
In 2016, Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 23,000 votes, a breakthrough that along with wins in Michigan and Pennsylvania helped hand him his first term in the White House.
Democrats were determined to reclaim Wisconsin, a state that before Trump hadn't gone for a Republican since Ronald Reagan in 1984.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Elgin City Council votes against making David C Cook building a landmark

The nearly yearlong landmark saga surrounding the David C Cook building came to an end Wednesday as the Elgin City Council voted against the designation by a vote of 5-4 .
The designation of landmark status was recommended by the Elgin Heritage Commission by an 11-0 vote in early October after it determined the 119-year-old neoclassical office building met nine of the 11 criteria .
The issue had been sent to the commission by the council in January .
The council avoided setting a precedent of landmarking a building against the owner 's wishes as the David C Cook company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposed the move .
The fate of the office building at 850 N. Grove Ave , which has been vacant since 1994 , can now be decided by the company without the complications that landmark status would confer .
The company still uses some of the warehouse space behind the office building for distribution of its Christian publishing products .
CEO Cris Doornbos , who said the company has been pursuing development opportunities for the property for 15 years , said there is new hope .
`` Another significant , sincere , credible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us , and their interest is high '' he said during his comments to the council .
`` But if we get a yes vote tonight , that idea is off the table in the morning , and I would regret that tremendously . ''
A company spokesman declined to say who the potential suitor is but said that Doornbos was `` pleased with the outcome of the vote . ''
The company agreed to put off demolition of the building for six months while it pursues this and other options .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin work on stabilizing the roof , which has recently fallen into further disrepair .
The issue required a supermajority to pass , meaning six yes votes were necessary .
Council members made it apparent from their comments that the outcome of the vote was a foregone conclusion .
Councilman Baldemar Lopez , who was one of the four council members to vote for landmark status Wednesday night , said , `` I understand my voting for landmark status may be symbolic , but I also have to listen to the members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preservation is for the people that live in the historic district . ''
Council members Corey Dixon , Carol Rauschenberger and John Steffen also voted for the landmark designation .
Councilwoman Tish Powell , who voted to send the issue to the Heritage Commission in January but voted no on Wednesday , said that `` unless the city of Elgin is willing to purchase this property or contribute significant dollars , as we did with the Tower Building , to help ensure its redevelopment , it would be irresponsible of us to saddle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designation . ''
Mayor David Kaptain said he voted no this time for the same reasons he voted yes in January .
`` Irony is never lost on me , '' Kaptain said .
`` On the same project I 'm going to vote yes and no with the same goal in mind : that you have time to make this work out . ''

Elgin City Council votes against making David C Cook building a landmark
The nearly yearlong landmark saga surrounding the David C Cook building came to an end Wednesday as the Elgin City Council voted 5-4 against the designation.
The designation of landmark status was recommended by the Elgin Heritage Commission by an 11-0 vote in early October after it determined the 119-year-old neoclassical office building in the city's historic district met nine of the 11 criteria. The issue had been sent to the commission by the council in January.
The council avoided setting a precedent of landmarking a building against the owner's wishes as the David C Cook company, now based in Colorado, strongly opposed the move.
The fate of the office building at 850 N. Grove Ave, which has been vacant since 1994, can now be decided by the company without the complications that landmark status would confer. The company still uses some of the warehouse space behind the office building for distribution of its Christian publishing products.
CEO Cris Doornbos, who said the company has been pursuing development opportunities for the property for 15 years, said there is new hope.
"Another significant, sincere, credible and current opportunity is now in front of us, and their interest is high," he said during his comments to the council. "But if we get a 'yes' vote tonight, that idea is off the table in the morning, and I would regret that tremendously."
A company spokesman declined to say who the potential suitor is but said Doornbos was "pleased with the outcome of the vote."
The company agreed to put off demolition of the building for six months while it pursues this and other options. The company also said it will immediately begin work to stabilize the roof, which has recently fallen into further disrepair.
The issue required a supermajority of the city council to pass, meaning six "yes" votes were necessary. Council members made it apparent from their comments that the outcome of the vote was a foregone conclusion.
Councilman Baldemar Lopez, who was one of the four members to vote for landmark status Wednesday night, said, "I understand my voting for landmark status may be symbolic, but I also have to listen to the members of the community and understand how important historic preservation is for the people that live in the historic district."
Council members Corey Dixon, Carol Rauschenberger and John Steffen also voted for the landmark designation.
Councilwoman Tish Powell, who voted to send the issue to the Heritage Commission in January but voted no on Wednesday, said that "unless the city of Elgin is willing to purchase this property or contribute significant dollars, as we did with the Tower Building, to help ensure its redevelopment, it would be irresponsible of us to saddle the DC Cook property owner with this designation."
Mayor David Kaptain said he voted no this time for the same reasons he voted yes in January.
"Irony is never lost on me," Kaptain said. "On the same project I'm going to vote yes and no with the same goal in mind: that you have time to make this work out."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-11-04--Jim O'Donnell: Does Tony La Russa have Michael Jordan to thank for his new gig?

DOES TONY LA RUSSA have Michael Jordan and `` The Last Dance '' to thank for his new autumnal roost as manager of the White Sox ?
Memorable works of drama are supposed to include tension points .
Those are the junctures in a narrative when danger is at the door , when upstreaming heroes have to sweat out formidable obstacles such as temples of doom or a perilous count of mail-in ballots .
That 's why Jerry Reinsdorf 's appearance in `` The Last Dance '' was of invaluable help to the producers of the Jordan infomercial .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a marvelous point of recurring tension .
Reinsdorf attempted to offer fresh words and laughably self-serving recall on why Jordan and a six-time NBA championship culture had to be thrown away with yesterday 's empty Gatorade bottles .
In the end , a gentleman with as sharp of a mind as Reinsdorf had to be aware he came off as imperious and unconvincing .
So unconvincing that when The One Great Scorer comes to mark against his name , high on the list of Reinsdorf pluses and minuses will be : '' Man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ player in the history of basketball overboard for no good reason with a strike-shortened seventh NBA title pleading to be taken . ''
In the wake of all of that , with enough money to play liars poker with the Pritzkers , has Reinsdorf , 84 , hit the point where he cranks Frank Sinatra 's `` My Way '' louder than ever each morning ?
Reinsdorf 's way certainly extended to the hiring of the 76-year-old La Russa .
He made Sox baseball execs Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams seem irrelevant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thor who 's the boss at the intersection of 35th Street and Illinois Public Trough .
And implicitly , Herr Jer ' acknowledged that he does n't really give a cat 's nap about the remnants of select perception of his public image .
Was the negative blowback from his appearance in `` The Last Dance '' the final motivator for Reinsdorf to decide that he will run his valedictory laps with the people he wants to , metrics and dugout Metamucil be damned ?
And , quite frankly , why should n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1998 window back to have the celestial No .
23 soaring to title No .
7 .
STREET-BEATIN ' : One year ago , Jimmy Garoppolo and the Forty-Niners were 7-0 and en route to the Super Bowl .
It will be a significantly different story if their `` Thursday Night Football '' game vs. visiting Green Bay goes on as scheduled ( Fox/NFL Network ; 7:20 p.m. ) -- Jimmy G is headed for injured reserve and battered SF ( 4-4 ) shut its headquarters Wednesday after WR Kendrick Bourne tested positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miscommunication '' between Nick Foles and credible Brian Griese of `` Monday Night Football , '' the Bears QB got his point across -- Matt Nagy has failed to adjust sets and call plays more likely to circumvent the glaring deficiencies of his team 's dreadful offensive line .
( And why does Nagy so intently need a call card involving an offense he structured and has been tweaking since 2018 ? )
...
Speaking of `` MNF , '' Griese , Louis Riddick and Steve Levy are clearly placeholders .
Levy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply more evidence that so much of what ESPN touches turns to cheese .
... On the flip side , Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware is as good a college football analyst as there is for the cable sports giant .
He and Jason Benetti work No .
11 Miami-North Carolina State Friday ( ESPN , 6:30 p.m. ) ...
In an unfathomable decision that could not have been made by Chicago-steeped minds , WGN-AM ( 720 ) no longer broadcasts Ed O'Bradovich and Dan Hampton live after Bears games .
They 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The station is absolutely devouring itself -- why not just air super drone John Williams for all 24 hours of each programming day ? )
... NBCSN will do most of the heavy lifting when the two-day 2020 Breeders ' Cup airs from Keeneland beginning Friday ( 1 p.m. ) Best thing about the diluted series is it is the most concentrated American racing of the year when the mainstream bettor can be reasonably assured almost all connections are trying .
... Great archival find : YouTube `` Tony La Russa To Tell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1980 taping from the final throes of the legacied game show featuring the 35-year-old Sox skipper in front of panelists Kitty Carlisle , Dick Van Patten , Rita Moreno and Nipsey Russell .
( In real life , Carlisle ditched George Gershwin in favor of playwright Moss Hart -- kind of like Reinsdorf with Rick Renteria and La Russa . )
... And Scott Hipple , on the MLB resurrection of La Russa : `` Does this mean Tommy Lasorda is back out jogging ? ''
• Jim O'Donnell 's Sports & Media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him at jimodonnelldh @ yahoo.com .

Jim O'Donnell: Does Tony La Russa have Michael Jordan to thank for his new gig?
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf certainly did it his way when bringing back Tony La Russa to manage his team. Associated Press
DOES TONY LA RUSSA have Michael Jordan and "The Last Dance" to thank for his new autumnal roost as manager of the White Sox?
Memorable works of drama are supposed to include tension points.
Those are the junctures in a narrative when danger is at the door, when upstreaming heroes have to sweat out formidable obstacles such as temples of doom or a perilous count of mail-in ballots.
That's why Jerry Reinsdorf's appearance in "The Last Dance" was of invaluable help to the producers of the Jordan infomercial.
He became a most important dancing villain, a marvelous point of recurring tension.
Reinsdorf attempted to offer fresh words and laughably self-serving recall on why Jordan and a six-time NBA championship culture had to be thrown away with yesterday's empty Gatorade bottles.
In the end, a gentleman with as sharp of a mind as Reinsdorf had to be aware he came off as imperious and unconvincing.
So unconvincing that when The One Great Scorer comes to mark against his name, high on the list of Reinsdorf pluses and minuses will be:
"Man who gratuitously tossed the most theatrically competitive player in the history of basketball overboard for no good reason with a strike-shortened seventh NBA title pleading to be taken."
In the wake of all of that, with enough money to play liars poker with the Pritzkers, has Reinsdorf, 84, hit the point where he cranks Frank Sinatra's "My Way" louder than ever each morning?
Reinsdorf's way certainly extended to the hiring of the 76-year-old La Russa.
He made Sox baseball execs Rick Hahn and Kenny Williams seem irrelevant.
He showed with his own hammer of Thor who's the boss at the intersection of 35th Street and Illinois Public Trough.
And implicitly, Herr Jer' acknowledged that he doesn't really give a cat's nap about the remnants of select perception of his public image.
Was the negative blowback from his appearance in "The Last Dance" the final motivator for Reinsdorf to decide that he will run his valedictory laps with the people he wants to, metrics and dugout Metamucil be damned?
And, quite frankly, why shouldn't he?
He ain't getting the 1998 window back to have the celestial No. 23 soaring to title No. 7.
STREET-BEATIN': One year ago, Jimmy Garoppolo and the Forty-Niners were 7-0 and en route to the Super Bowl. It will be a significantly different story if their "Thursday Night Football" game vs. visiting Green Bay goes on as scheduled (Fox/NFL Network; 7:20 p.m.) -- Jimmy G is headed for injured reserve and battered SF (4-4) shut its headquarters Wednesday after WR Kendrick Bourne tested positive for COVID. ...
Whatever the "miscommunication" between Nick Foles and credible Brian Griese of "Monday Night Football," the Bears QB got his point across -- Matt Nagy has failed to adjust sets and call plays more likely to circumvent the glaring deficiencies of his team's dreadful offensive line. (And why does Nagy so intently need a call card involving an offense he structured and has been tweaking since 2018?) ...
Speaking of "MNF," Griese, Louis Riddick and Steve Levy are clearly placeholders. Levy is awful -- loud and Rotarian -- and simply more evidence that so much of what ESPN touches turns to cheese. ...
On the flip side, Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware is as good a college football analyst as there is for the cable sports giant. He and Jason Benetti work No. 11 Miami-North Carolina State Friday (ESPN, 6:30 p.m.) ...
In an unfathomable decision that could not have been made by Chicago-steeped minds, WGN-AM (720) no longer broadcasts Ed O'Bradovich and Dan Hampton live after Bears games. They're now on Tuesdays from 7-10 p.m. (The station is absolutely devouring itself -- why not just air super drone John Williams for all 24 hours of each programming day?) ...
NBCSN will do most of the heavy lifting when the two-day 2020 Breeders' Cup airs from Keeneland beginning Friday (1 p.m.) Best thing about the diluted series is it is the most concentrated American racing of the year when the mainstream bettor can be reasonably assured almost all connections are trying. ...
Great archival find: YouTube "Tony La Russa To Tell The Truth." It's a 1980 taping from the final throes of the legacied game show featuring the 35-year-old Sox skipper in front of panelists Kitty Carlisle, Dick Van Patten, Rita Moreno and Nipsey Russell. (In real life, Carlisle ditched George Gershwin in favor of playwright Moss Hart -- kind of like Reinsdorf with Rick Renteria and La Russa.) ...
And Scott Hipple, on the MLB resurrection of La Russa: "Does this mean Tommy Lasorda is back out jogging?"
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports & Media column appears Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com.