dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-16--Agency's request to Pritzker on Restore Illinois plan 'softened'

A potential request to reduce a standard for moving from one phase to the next of Gov .
J.B. Pritzker 's Restore Illinois plan was not included in a letter to him from an agency representing 42 suburbs in the region Friday .
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said members of the Northwest Municipal Conference on Wednesday had discussed asking that the standard requiring hospital admissions for COVID-19 remain level or decrease be reduced to 14 days from 28 days and he had not realized it was not included in a letter sent to the governor on Friday .
A story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his and others comments favoring a 14-day standard incorrectly said that it had been included .
Dailly said he expects the 14-day request to be part of a draft resolution that will be discussed by Schaumburg trustees on Tuesday and Palatine 's village manager has indicated it would be part of a discussion there on Monday .
`` Well , it was part of the conversation , '' Dailly said Saturday .
`` Keep in mind , we were in a two-hour conversation . ''
Dailly said there had been concerns about coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the group to make another adjustment to its position .
`` To soften that , to not make it appear to the governor that we were opposing him , we changed from a resolution to a letter , '' he said .
The letter ultimately contained two specific requests -- to divide the larger region of the greater Chicago area into smaller subregions following the boundaries of the state 's 11 emergency medical services regions , and to work to safely phase in the opening of restaurants and bars in Phase 3 rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said he had been aware that the request for a reduction to 14 days had been left out , but that it could possibly be part of his village 's own position , which will be discussed Monday .
`` Nobody is defying the governor 's ordinance , '' McLeod said .
`` We just want him to consider going back and not lumping us in with Chicago .
We 're just respectfully asking that he think about it . ''

Agency's request to Pritzker on Restore Illinois plan 'softened'
A potential request to reduce a standard for moving from one phase to the next of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan was not included in a letter to him from an agency representing 42 suburbs in the region Friday.
Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said members of the Northwest Municipal Conference on Wednesday had discussed asking that the standard requiring hospital admissions for COVID-19 remain level or decrease be reduced to 14 days from 28 days and he had not realized it was not included in a letter sent to the governor on Friday. A story in Saturday's Daily Herald based on his and others comments favoring a 14-day standard incorrectly said that it had been included.
Dailly said he expects the 14-day request to be part of a draft resolution that will be discussed by Schaumburg trustees on Tuesday and Palatine's village manager has indicated it would be part of a discussion there on Monday.
"Well, it was part of the conversation," Dailly said Saturday. "Keep in mind, we were in a two-hour conversation."
Dailly said there had been concerns about coming across as too confrontational, which led the group to make another adjustment to its position.
"To soften that, to not make it appear to the governor that we were opposing him, we changed from a resolution to a letter," he said.
The letter ultimately contained two specific requests -- to divide the larger region of the greater Chicago area into smaller subregions following the boundaries of the state's 11 emergency medical services regions, and to work to safely phase in the opening of restaurants and bars in Phase 3 rather than Phase 4 of the plan.
Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said he had been aware that the request for a reduction to 14 days had been left out, but that it could possibly be part of his village's own position, which will be discussed Monday.
"Nobody is defying the governor's ordinance," McLeod said. "We just want him to consider going back and not lumping us in with Chicago. We're just respectfully asking that he think about it."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-16--Grammar Moses: Song titles to make you grimace

For the past two months , I 've been channeling my inner disc jockey by highlighting a daily `` Song To Make You Smile '' on the back page of Daily Herald and linking to a video of it on our website .
Music is the therapy that soothes my troubled spirit these days .
That and peanut M & M 's , of course .
Judging by the roughly 300 requests I 've gotten from readers , this does the trick for you , too .
So , why bring this up in a grammar column ?
Because if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ selections , you might have said to yourself on May 8 , `` Moses , have you lost your marbles ? ''
The song of the day was `` Ai n't No Mountain High Enough , '' by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell .
Four days later , it was `` Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard , '' by Paul Simon .
I admit to having grit my teeth as I put them on the list , but , hey , it 's all about the music , and music has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And that brings me to Casey Smith .
`` It 's only taken me weeks of quarantine to come up with a question you 've probably answered a million times by now .
Without regret , here I go , '' he wrote in an email to me .
`` If you were to say 'me and my friend ' or 'my friend and me ' around a buddy of mine , he will promptly interject with 'my friend and I ' while at the same time pushing the glasses from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Is 'my friend and I ' always right ?
I have to think there can be an exception ! ''
Casey , I 've always found it easy to just take your friend out of the equation .
Please do not interpret that as a solicitation for murder .
Would you say , `` Me is going to the movies '' ?
I would hope not .
I think you can be prosecuted for saying that .
Many people are confused by this , and I believe this explains the ascendancy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horribly misused by people who think it is a synonym for `` I '' and `` me '' that I try to avoid using it altogether .
Use `` I '' when you are the subject of the sentence and `` me '' when you 're the object .
You as the subject : `` My friend and I went to the movies . ''
You as the object : `` The theater owner gave my friend and me free tickets to the show . ''
If you take your friend out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should make your ears bleed to say it incorrectly .
Just as some people throw around `` myself '' when they do n't understand whether to use `` I '' or `` me , '' I believe `` impact '' is used by those who ca n't remember whether to use `` affect '' and `` effect . ''
( By the way , `` affect '' is a verb and `` effect '' is a noun most of the time , unless it 's used as a synonym for `` create , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Reader John Rix wrote to me with just that sentiment .
Thanks for the inspiration , John .
I 'm not a fan of `` impact '' as a noun , because it 's overly general .
It 's neither good nor bad .
Your favorite teacher had an impact on you , but so did your bully .
But the type of impact each had is likely very different .
Why waste your breath or your keystrokes on words that say nothing ?
Like many people who do more than just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I despise `` impact '' as a verb .
It 's more than the blandness and noncommittal nature of the word ; it 's the jargony , euphemistic feel it carries .
It 's the stuff of business presentations .
Many of you will probably be shocked to learn that the verb `` impact '' preceded the noun by about two centuries .
I know , it gave me the vapors when I learned it , too .
But I would wager that most people who use `` impact '' as a verb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's hope this does n't embolden them .
I hope that this column has impacted you .
• Jim Baumann is vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald .
Write him at jbaumann @ dailyherald.com .
Put Grammar Moses in the subject line .
You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim .

Grammar Moses: Song titles to make you grimace
Paul Simon performs Sept. 22, 2018, in the Flushing Meadows Corona Park during the final stop of his Homeward Bound -- The Farewell Tour in New York. His "Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard" is a still great song, despite its ungrammatical title. Associated Press
For the past two months, I've been channeling my inner disc jockey by highlighting a daily "Song To Make You Smile" on the back page of Daily Herald and linking to a video of it on our website.
Music is the therapy that soothes my troubled spirit these days. That and peanut M&M's, of course.
Judging by the roughly 300 requests I've gotten from readers, this does the trick for you, too.
So, why bring this up in a grammar column?
Because if you knew who was behind the song selections, you might have said to yourself on May 8, "Moses, have you lost your marbles?"
The song of the day was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
Four days later, it was "Me & Julio Down By the Schoolyard," by Paul Simon.
I admit to having grit my teeth as I put them on the list, but, hey, it's all about the music, and music has never been a slave to good grammar.
And that brings me to Casey Smith.
"It's only taken me weeks of quarantine to come up with a question you've probably answered a million times by now. Without regret, here I go," he wrote in an email to me. "If you were to say 'me and my friend' or 'my friend and me' around a buddy of mine, he will promptly interject with 'my friend and I' while at the same time pushing the glasses from the tip to the bridge of his nose. Is 'my friend and I' always right? I have to think there can be an exception!"
Casey, I've always found it easy to just take your friend out of the equation. Please do not interpret that as a solicitation for murder.
Would you say, "Me is going to the movies"?
I would hope not. I think you can be prosecuted for saying that.
Many people are confused by this, and I believe this explains the ascendancy of "myself," a word so horribly misused by people who think it is a synonym for "I" and "me" that I try to avoid using it altogether.
Use "I" when you are the subject of the sentence and "me" when you're the object.
You as the subject: "My friend and I went to the movies."
You as the object: "The theater owner gave my friend and me free tickets to the show."
If you take your friend out of the equation in both cases, it should make your ears bleed to say it incorrectly.
Impacted
Just as some people throw around "myself" when they don't understand whether to use "I" or "me," I believe "impact" is used by those who can't remember whether to use "affect" and "effect." (By the way, "affect" is a verb and "effect" is a noun most of the time, unless it's used as a synonym for "create," as in to effect change.)
Reader John Rix wrote to me with just that sentiment. Thanks for the inspiration, John.
I'm not a fan of "impact" as a noun, because it's overly general. It's neither good nor bad. Your favorite teacher had an impact on you, but so did your bully. But the type of impact each had is likely very different.
Why waste your breath or your keystrokes on words that say nothing?
Like many people who do more than just Google answers to life's questions, I despise "impact" as a verb. It's more than the blandness and noncommittal nature of the word; it's the jargony, euphemistic feel it carries.
It's the stuff of business presentations.
Many of you will probably be shocked to learn that the verb "impact" preceded the noun by about two centuries. I know, it gave me the vapors when I learned it, too.
But I would wager that most people who use "impact" as a verb today are unfamiliar with that. Let's hope this doesn't embolden them.
I hope that this column has impacted you.
Write carefully!
• Jim Baumann is vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbaumann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-16--Elgin church won't reopen Sunday, threatens suit over COVID-19 shutdown

The Northwest Bible Baptist Church near Elgin announced it will not hold services on Sunday after receiving a letter Friday afternoon from the Kane County state 's attorney 's office that it would enforce Gov .
J.B. Pritzker 's executive orders to combat the spread of COVID-19 .
The church , which was told to close its school shortly after the stay-open orders went into effect in mid-March , also threatened legal action in a strongly worded social media post that promised `` victory . ''
`` Their willingness to enforce Governor Pritzker 's illegal mandate against the local church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that that forces against the church have eclipsed the gravity of this pandemic , '' read part of a Facebook post by Pastor Keith Gomez .
`` While we are ready and willing to engage in this battle , we have been counseled and believe it will be most prudent to temporarily postpone our reopening to achieve a greater long-term victory , '' the post continued .
`` All along , we have said that we want to win this war to protect our religious liberty , to establish a precedent so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against our church again . ''
Attempts to reach Gomez for additional comment or elaboration on Saturday were not immediately successful .
Jeremy Dys , an attorney for the First Liberty Institute , which represents the church , called McMahon 's letter `` extremely disappointing '' and said church leaders have been pleading since May 1 to start a dialogue with state and local leaders but have received no response .
In a letter provided by Dys , McMahon 's office on Friday cited two cases in which courts upheld Pritzker 's orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or drive-up services would suffice during the pandemic .
McMahon said the church has taken `` laudable steps '' toward safety , but the social distancing mandate takes precedence .
`` If a conflict occurs , this office is prepared to carry out its statuatory duties and move to enforce compliance with the executive order , '' McMahon 's letter concluded .
The dispute comes at a time where local and state authorities across the country are struggling to find common ground on reopening businesses , relaxing restrictions and restarting the nation 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said on Thursday his deputies would need an order signed by a local judge before they enforce Pritzker 's orders and the Kendall County Sheriff 's Department also said it would not break up group gatherings or target small businesses for social distancing violations .
Gomez 's social media post , made on the churches ' Facebook page , also said it has `` legal representation '' and will take `` recommended action '' on Monday .
`` We understand the spiritual needs of our community and the spiritual needs of our church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day to meet all of those needs .
That day is coming soon , regardless of the government 's approval , '' Gomez wrote .

Elgin church won't reopen Sunday, threatens suit over COVID-19 shutdown
The Northwest Bible Baptist Church near Elgin announced it will not hold services on Sunday after receiving a letter Friday afternoon from the Kane County state's attorney's office that it would enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker's executive orders to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The church, which was told to close its school shortly after the stay-open orders went into effect in mid-March, also threatened legal action in a strongly worded social media post that promised "victory."
"Their willingness to enforce Governor Pritzker's illegal mandate against the local church is mind-blowing, and it is obvious that that forces against the church have eclipsed the gravity of this pandemic," read part of a Facebook post by Pastor Keith Gomez.
"While we are ready and willing to engage in this battle, we have been counseled and believe it will be most prudent to temporarily postpone our reopening to achieve a greater long-term victory," the post continued. "All along, we have said that we want to win this war to protect our religious liberty, to establish a precedent so that these legal actions will never be taken against our church again."
Attempts to reach Gomez for additional comment or elaboration on Saturday were not immediately successful.
Jeremy Dys, an attorney for the First Liberty Institute, which represents the church, called McMahon's letter "extremely disappointing" and said church leaders have been pleading since May 1 to start a dialogue with state and local leaders but have received no response.
In a letter provided by Dys, McMahon's office on Friday cited two cases in which courts upheld Pritzker's orders that affect religious gatherings and that online or drive-up services would suffice during the pandemic.
McMahon said the church has taken "laudable steps" toward safety, but the social distancing mandate takes precedence. "If a conflict occurs, this office is prepared to carry out its statuatory duties and move to enforce compliance with the executive order," McMahon's letter concluded.
The dispute comes at a time where local and state authorities across the country are struggling to find common ground on reopening businesses, relaxing restrictions and restarting the nation's economy.
Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said on Thursday his deputies would need an order signed by a local judge before they enforce Pritzker's orders and the Kendall County Sheriff's Department also said it would not break up group gatherings or target small businesses for social distancing violations.
Gomez's social media post, made on the churches' Facebook page, also said it has "legal representation" and will take "recommended action" on Monday.
"We understand the spiritual needs of our community and the spiritual needs of our church people, and we wholeheartedly long for the day to meet all of those needs. That day is coming soon, regardless of the government's approval," Gomez wrote.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-16--Facts Matter: Pence joking about delivering empty boxes

Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel aired a video showing Vice President Mike Pence delivering boxes of personal protective equipment , or PPE , to Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Virginia on May 7 .
`` Listen in closely here , '' Kimmel said as he highlighted a section of the footage in which Pence suggests they carry empty boxes after they finished delivering the full ones .
`` Well , can I carry the empty ones ?
Just for the camera ? ''
Pence asked .
Kimmel posted the video on Twitter , stating , `` A big box of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
That tweet got more than 9 million views .
But the `` Jimmy Kimmel Live ! ''
host cut the video off before it became clear Pence was joking , according to The Washington Post .
Pence 's comment is met with laughter from the group at the center as they close the doors on the back of the truck .
A Pence campaign spokesman complained on Twitter that Kimmel `` selectively edited '' the C-SPAN clip .
Kimmel deleted the Twitter post and later gave `` an apology of sorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would appear that @ vp was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt , '' Kimmel posted on May 8 .
`` The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt .
My apologies . ''
During Monday 's show , Kimmel apologized and said it was `` wrong '' to show the clip .
`` I did n't know because I 'd only watched part of the video , '' he said .
Recent social media posts falsely claim there is plenty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Mayor Lori Lightfoot released incarcerated rapists to make room for people who violate the stay-at-home order , according to The Associated Press .
But Lightfoot does n't have the power to release inmates from the city 's jails or prisons .
The mayor did , however , threaten to lock up people who host large gatherings , the AP said .
`` Do n't make us treat you like a criminal , '' Lightfoot said earlier this month .
`` But if you act like a criminal and you violate the law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary to save lives in this city in the middle of a pandemic , we will take you to jail . ''
The false social media posts appear to combine Lightfoot 's comment and an April order by Gov .
J.B. Pritzker allowing elderly state inmates to be furloughed because of the coronavirus , the AP said .
At Cook County jail in Chicago , a judge reduced bail for detainees not considered a threat in order to reduce the jail 's population and slow the spread of the virus .
A Facebook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision shortly after the Civil War .
But that case , and a quote from an unrelated , case , do n't support that claim , < URL destination= '' https : //www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/may/13/facebook-posts/no-s-not-us-supreme-court-ruling/ '' > according to PolitiFact.com .
< /URL > The Facebook post cites an 1866 ruling from the case Ex parte Milligan , 71 U.S. 2 , stating , `` Neither the legislature nor any executive or judicial officer may disregard the provisions of the constitution in case of emergency , '' PolitiFact said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unattributed quote from an unrelated Illinois Supreme Court case : `` Anyone who declares the suspension of constitutionally guaranteed rights ( to freely travel , peacefully assemble , earn a living , freely worship , ETC . )
...
They violate their constitutional oath and , thus , immediately forfeit their office and authority and their proclamations may be disregarded with impunity and that means ANYONE ; even the governor and president . ''
The section of the Facebook post beginning with the words `` proclamations may be disregarded with impunity '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The first case , about disputed judicial authority during the Civil War , involved Lambdin P. Milligan , who was tried by a military tribunal in Indiana and sentenced to death .
The Supreme Court ruled the tribunal had no power in areas with established civil courts .
The other quote is taken from the case People ex rel .
Lyle vs. City of Chicago , in which the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in favor of the justices of Chicago 's municipal court who filed a complaint against the city council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The chief justice said the courts could not `` disregard the provisions of the ( Illinois ) constitution , even in case of a great emergency . ''
PolitiFact cites the American Bar Association in saying the U.S. Constitution 's 10th Amendment and past U.S. Supreme Court decisions make clear that `` state governments have the primary authority to control the spread of dangerous diseases within their jurisdictions . ''
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News .
Contact him at boboswald33 @ gmail.com @

Facts Matter: Pence joking about delivering empty boxes
Chief Executive Officer for Marquis Health Services Norman Rokeach, right, watches as Vice President Mike Pence, left, unloads boxes of PPE from FEMA at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Alexandria, Va., Thursday, May 7, 2020. Associated Press
Late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel aired a video showing Vice President Mike Pence delivering boxes of personal protective equipment, or PPE, to Woodbine Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center in Virginia on May 7.
"Listen in closely here," Kimmel said as he highlighted a section of the footage in which Pence suggests they carry empty boxes after they finished delivering the full ones.
"Well, can I carry the empty ones? Just for the camera?" Pence asked.
Kimmel posted the video on Twitter, stating, "A big box of nothing, delivering another box of nothing." That tweet got more than 9 million views.
But the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" host cut the video off before it became clear Pence was joking, according to The Washington Post. Pence's comment is met with laughter from the group at the center as they close the doors on the back of the truck.
A Pence campaign spokesman complained on Twitter that Kimmel "selectively edited" the C-SPAN clip. Kimmel deleted the Twitter post and later gave "an apology of sorts," the Post said.
"It would appear that @vp was joking about carrying empty boxes for a staged publicity stunt," Kimmel posted on May 8. "The full video reveals that he was carrying full boxes for a staged publicity stunt. My apologies."
During Monday's show, Kimmel apologized and said it was "wrong" to show the clip. "I didn't know because I'd only watched part of the video," he said.
Lightfoot didn't release convicted rapists
Recent social media posts falsely claim there is plenty of empty space in Chicago's jails after Mayor Lori Lightfoot released incarcerated rapists to make room for people who violate the stay-at-home order, according to The Associated Press.
But Lightfoot doesn't have the power to release inmates from the city's jails or prisons. The mayor did, however, threaten to lock up people who host large gatherings, the AP said.
"Don't make us treat you like a criminal," Lightfoot said earlier this month. "But if you act like a criminal and you violate the law and you refuse to do what is necessary to save lives in this city in the middle of a pandemic, we will take you to jail."
The false social media posts appear to combine Lightfoot's comment and an April order by Gov. J.B. Pritzker allowing elderly state inmates to be furloughed because of the coronavirus, the AP said. At Cook County jail in Chicago, a judge reduced bail for detainees not considered a threat in order to reduce the jail's population and slow the spread of the virus.
Home orders don't violate Constitution
A Facebook post falsely claims stay-at-home orders are unconstitutional, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision shortly after the Civil War.
But that case, and a quote from an unrelated, case, don't support that claim, according to PolitiFact.com.
The Facebook post cites an 1866 ruling from the case Ex parte Milligan, 71 U.S. 2, stating, "Neither the legislature nor any executive or judicial officer may disregard the provisions of the constitution in case of emergency," PolitiFact said.
The Facebook post then continues with an unattributed quote from an unrelated Illinois Supreme Court case: "Anyone who declares the suspension of constitutionally guaranteed rights (to freely travel, peacefully assemble, earn a living, freely worship, ETC.) ... They violate their constitutional oath and, thus, immediately forfeit their office and authority and their proclamations may be disregarded with impunity and that means ANYONE; even the governor and president."
The section of the Facebook post beginning with the words "proclamations may be disregarded with impunity" is not from either case, PolitiFact said.
The first case, about disputed judicial authority during the Civil War, involved Lambdin P. Milligan, who was tried by a military tribunal in Indiana and sentenced to death. The Supreme Court ruled the tribunal had no power in areas with established civil courts.
The other quote is taken from the case People ex rel. Lyle vs. City of Chicago, in which the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in favor of the justices of Chicago's municipal court who filed a complaint against the city council over unpaid salaries during the Depression. The chief justice said the courts could not "disregard the provisions of the (Illinois) constitution, even in case of a great emergency."
PolitiFact cites the American Bar Association in saying the U.S. Constitution's 10th Amendment and past U.S. Supreme Court decisions make clear that "state governments have the primary authority to control the spread of dangerous diseases within their jurisdictions."
• Bob Oswald is a veteran Chicago-area journalist and former news editor of the Elgin Courier-News. Contact him at boboswald33@gmail.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-16--Good News Sunday: Teachers bring the 'Good News'

This is Good News Sunday , a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published by the Daily Herald during the previous week : One teacher bounces on an exercise ball , another crawls around a homemade tent with her daughter .
A dog does push-ups , a teddy bear makes a special appearance and Spike the Madison Elementary School mascot shares puns on paper during the first episode of `` Some Good News With Less Famous People , '' a pandemic production of two Lombard teachers .
Ryan Kuehne and Tony Melton coordinate to write , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the students they 've been missing since schools shut down in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic .
The goals of the production are lofty , as Kuehne , a physical education teacher , says in the introduction to the first episode : `` To share good news , spread positive vibes , smile and laugh and , most importantly , bring our Madison community together during these different times . ''
The idea came from actor John Krasinski and the `` Some Good News '' videos he started posting on YouTube during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ click here .
One Ninja moves to finals , second awaits turn The Arlington Heights boy , who turned 11 on Tuesday , advanced to the final of `` American Ninja Warrior Junior '' in the episode broadcast the previous Friday on the Universal Kids network .
Although the competition was filmed in July in California , Pham and his immediate family are sworn to secrecy about the results until after each episode airs .
He 'll need to keep his secret a little longer because his final episode will be broadcast June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be fun still , I hope , '' said Owen , who competed in the 9-to-10 age group .
`` I 'm just telling people to keep watching . ''
Emerson Smith , 13 , of Wheaton made her debut on Friday in the 11-to-12 age group .
The Franklin Middle School student had her birthday after the July filming , which is why she competed in the younger group .
`` I 've been smiling a lot this week , '' Emerson said .
`` I 'm just so excited to watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the full story , click here .
A Wauconda resident who was laid off because of the COVID-19 crisis is using his downtime to raise revenue for local restaurants and nonprofit groups .
Once or twice a week , Kevin Delaney goes live on his Facebook page , facebook.com/kevin.delaney.12 , and completes often-silly challenges submitted by friends , relatives and strangers .
`` I have shaved a leg , and I painted my toenails , '' said Delaney , 52 , who lost his job as a sales representative for a Wheeling marketing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I shaved my head live on Facebook . ''
Delaney said he 's collected more than $ 7,300 , so far .
`` I ca n't believe we have raised as much as we have , '' he said .
For the full story , click here .
Barrington soccer gets kick out of raising money Roman Booker gets a kick out of soccer .
Last weekend , he got more than 20,000 kicks , all of them for a good cause .
Inspired by Captain Thomas Moore , a 100-year-old former British @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 relief , Roman , 10 , of Barrington , thought he could use his soccer skills to help people close to home .
`` I 'm raising money for the health care workers and the families in need , '' said Roman , a fourth-grader at Grove Avenue Elementary School in Barrington .
Roman crushed his original fundraising goal of $ 1,000 for the organization Feeding America and the doctors and nurses at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington .
He 's now well over $ 2,000 for those organizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar organization in Great Britain , where he and his family lived until five years ago .
If you 'd like to contribute to Roman 's kicks , visit www.gofundme.com/f/kick-ups-for-covid-19 .
For the full story , click here .
The Morton Arboretum in Lisle is planning to begin a phased reopening for members only from June 1 through 14 , officials announced Tuesday .
The museum 's newest outdoor art installation , Human+Nature , has been rescheduled to open April 9 , 2021 , due to the pandemic .
The six troll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibition , which was scheduled to close in June .
The arboretum 's special events and educational programs originally scheduled for June have been canceled or moved to an online format .
Safety procedures will be in place to pace entry to the arboretum and enforce social distancing requirements .
Members must make advance reservations online for timed-entry passes .
For the full story , click here .
• Good News Sunday will run each weekend .
Visit dailyherald.com/newsletters to sign up for our Good News Sunday newsletter .

Good News Sunday: Teachers bring the 'Good News'
Owen Pham of Arlington Heights advanced to the finals of American Ninja Warrior Junior. Courtesy of the Pham family
This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published by the Daily Herald during the previous week:
Lombard teachers connect with 'Good News'
One teacher bounces on an exercise ball, another crawls around a homemade tent with her daughter.
A dog does push-ups, a teddy bear makes a special appearance and Spike the Madison Elementary School mascot shares puns on paper during the first episode of "Some Good News With Less Famous People," a pandemic production of two Lombard teachers.
Ryan Kuehne and Tony Melton coordinate to write, shoot and edit the weekly films for the students they've been missing since schools shut down in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goals of the production are lofty, as Kuehne, a physical education teacher, says in the introduction to the first episode: "To share good news, spread positive vibes, smile and laugh and, most importantly, bring our Madison community together during these different times."
The idea came from actor John Krasinski and the "Some Good News" videos he started posting on YouTube during the pandemic.
For the full story, click here.
One Ninja moves to finals, second awaits turn
Owen Pham enjoyed an early birthday celebration recently.
The Arlington Heights boy, who turned 11 on Tuesday, advanced to the final of "American Ninja Warrior Junior" in the episode broadcast the previous Friday on the Universal Kids network.
Although the competition was filmed in July in California, Pham and his immediate family are sworn to secrecy about the results until after each episode airs. He'll need to keep his secret a little longer because his final episode will be broadcast June 12.
"It's going to be fun still, I hope," said Owen, who competed in the 9-to-10 age group. "I'm just telling people to keep watching."
Emerson Smith, 13, of Wheaton made her debut on Friday in the 11-to-12 age group. The Franklin Middle School student had her birthday after the July filming, which is why she competed in the younger group.
"I've been smiling a lot this week," Emerson said. "I'm just so excited to watch the episode on Friday."
For the full story, click here.
Wauconda man accepts dares to raise money
A Wauconda resident who was laid off because of the COVID-19 crisis is using his downtime to raise revenue for local restaurants and nonprofit groups.
Once or twice a week, Kevin Delaney goes live on his Facebook page, facebook.com/kevin.delaney.12, and completes often-silly challenges submitted by friends, relatives and strangers.
"I have shaved a leg, and I painted my toenails," said Delaney, 52, who lost his job as a sales representative for a Wheeling marketing and printing company in March. "I shaved my head live on Facebook."
Delaney said he's collected more than $7,300, so far.
"I can't believe we have raised as much as we have," he said.
For the full story, click here.
Barrington soccer gets kick out of raising money
Roman Booker gets a kick out of soccer.
Last weekend, he got more than 20,000 kicks, all of them for a good cause.
Inspired by Captain Thomas Moore, a 100-year-old former British Army officer who was raising money for COVID-19 relief, Roman, 10, of Barrington, thought he could use his soccer skills to help people close to home.
"I'm raising money for the health care workers and the families in need," said Roman, a fourth-grader at Grove Avenue Elementary School in Barrington.
Roman crushed his original fundraising goal of $1,000 for the organization Feeding America and the doctors and nurses at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Lake Barrington. He's now well over $2,000 for those organizations and has raised more than $1,000 for a similar organization in Great Britain, where he and his family lived until five years ago.
If you'd like to contribute to Roman's kicks, visit www.gofundme.com/f/kick-ups-for-covid-19.
For the full story, click here.
Morton Arboretum to phase reopening June 1
The Morton Arboretum in Lisle is planning to begin a phased reopening for members only from June 1 through 14, officials announced Tuesday.
The museum's newest outdoor art installation, Human+Nature, has been rescheduled to open April 9, 2021, due to the pandemic. The six troll sculptures in the arboretum's Troll Hunt exhibition, which was scheduled to close in June.
The arboretum's special events and educational programs originally scheduled for June have been canceled or moved to an online format.
Safety procedures will be in place to pace entry to the arboretum and enforce social distancing requirements. Members must make advance reservations online for timed-entry passes.
For the full story, click here.
• Good News Sunday will run each weekend. Visit dailyherald.com/newsletters to sign up for our Good News Sunday newsletter.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Major flooding along Des Plaines, DuPage, Fox rivers

Residents across the suburbs spent Monday bailing out basements and navigating around impassable roads after a wet weekend overwhelmed local waterways and challenged flood prevention systems .
But aside from a chance of rain early Tuesday , the National Weather Service 's forecast calls for a warmer and much drier week ahead .
On Monday , every Chicago-area river monitored by NWS was under some advisement stemming from rains that pelted the region on and off for days , officials said .
The areas where rivers have yet to crest are expected to do so Tuesday or Wednesday .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood stages Monday , the Des Plaines River was at major flood stage near Lincolnshire and Des Plaines , according to meteorologist Brian Leatherwood .
In Des Plaines , flash flooding left some roads impassable last weekend and into Monday , officials said .
`` We got an awful lot of rain in a short amount of time , '' Des Plaines police officer Mike Heidkamp said .
Leatherwood said a large swath from central Cook County south through Will County and beyond received about 5 to 6 inches of rain Sunday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as 1 to 2 inches , Leatherwood said .
Elk Grove Village has seen around 8 inches of rain since Thursday and flash flooding Sunday , which Mayor Craig Johnson called the biggest test of the Busse Woods dam .
`` What I 'm happy about is that dam did exactly what it was supposed to do , '' Johnson said .
`` We definitely would have had more devastation than we did . ''
May rainfall totals set a record in 2018 that was broken a year later , he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year .
To the south , low-lying areas in Lisle were hit hard , with residents in three residential buildings on St. Joseph Creek Road evacuated because of flooding .
The Red Cross is assisting families with placement in nearby hotels , Assistant Village Manager Jack Knight said .
Three roads remained closed in Lisle by midday Monday , including Burlington Avenue from Route 53 to the DuPage River , where DuPage County crews were helping pump out water and several yards were flooded .
Much of Lisle Community Park , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with Short Street through the park and Riverview Drive on the park 's east side both closed .
The Riverwalk in downtown Naperville also flooded as the West Branch of the DuPage River rose with Sunday 's soaking rains .
Standing water was reported Sunday on parts of Ogden Avenue and Monday in northbound lanes of Naper Boulevard between 75th Street and Hobson Road .
The city made sandbags available Saturday and alerted residents that flooding could occur in downtown and downstream areas .
Officials also advised boaters to stay off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two occasions Friday .
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission said between 3.7 and 8 inches of rain fell in the past eight days , including as much as 3.1 inches Sunday .
Water levels along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers were rising because rain in Wisconsin was moving downstream .
In Lincolnshire , the Des Plaines River was at 15.73 feet Monday but village officials said that because water levels appeared to have stabilized , no evacuations will be ordered .
The river was at moderate flood stage in Gurnee and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- 6 inches short of a major flood stage -- but village officials anticipate it will crest lower because of the forecast .
The Fox Waterway Agency of Lake and McHenry Counties reported flooding led to a debris advisory and no-wake restriction on the Chain O ' Lakes , and closure of the upper and lower Fox River because of hazardous conditions , according to the agency 's website .
The Fox River in Elgin is very high and will remain high for a few days , city spokeswoman Molly Gillespie said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a third of the grass field at Festival Park is flooded .
Other flooded areas include some riverfront yards along Wellington Avenue and property near Grand Victoria Casino downtown .
Several streets are closed due to flooding , such as in Elgin 's Poplar Creek neighborhood , she said .
The pedestrian bridges to Walton Island and the Fox River Trail under the Chicago Street and Highland Avenue bridges are closed , she said .
In downtown St. Charles , the Illinois Street Bridge and the Indiana Pedestrian Bridge were closed last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The riverwalk and other nearby pathways also will remain closed until water levels recede , Public Works Director Peter Suhr said .
• Daily Herald reporters Eric Peterson , Elena Ferrarin , Lauren Rohr and Marie Wilson contributed to this report .

Major flooding along Des Plaines, DuPage, Fox rivers
Residents across the suburbs spent Monday bailing out basements and navigating around impassable roads after a wet weekend overwhelmed local waterways and challenged flood prevention systems.
But aside from a chance of rain early Tuesday, the National Weather Service's forecast calls for a warmer and much drier week ahead.
On Monday, every Chicago-area river monitored by NWS was under some advisement stemming from rains that pelted the region on and off for days, officials said. The areas where rivers have yet to crest are expected to do so Tuesday or Wednesday.
While most areas were at moderate or minor flood stages Monday, the Des Plaines River was at major flood stage near Lincolnshire and Des Plaines, according to meteorologist Brian Leatherwood.
In Des Plaines, flash flooding left some roads impassable last weekend and into Monday, officials said.
"We got an awful lot of rain in a short amount of time," Des Plaines police officer Mike Heidkamp said.
Leatherwood said a large swath from central Cook County south through Will County and beyond received about 5 to 6 inches of rain Sunday. Elsewhere, rain totals were as low as 1 to 2 inches, Leatherwood said.
Elk Grove Village has seen around 8 inches of rain since Thursday and flash flooding Sunday, which Mayor Craig Johnson called the biggest test of the Busse Woods dam.
"What I'm happy about is that dam did exactly what it was supposed to do," Johnson said. "We definitely would have had more devastation than we did."
May rainfall totals set a record in 2018 that was broken a year later, he said, and that record is being threatened again this year.
To the south, low-lying areas in Lisle were hit hard, with residents in three residential buildings on St. Joseph Creek Road evacuated because of flooding. The Red Cross is assisting families with placement in nearby hotels, Assistant Village Manager Jack Knight said.
Three roads remained closed in Lisle by midday Monday, including Burlington Avenue from Route 53 to the DuPage River, where DuPage County crews were helping pump out water and several yards were flooded.
Much of Lisle Community Park, a designated floodwater retention area, were underwater, with Short Street through the park and Riverview Drive on the park's east side both closed.
- Jeff Knox | Staff Photographer Parts of the Riverwalk in Naperville were closed Monday due to the heavy weekend rain.
The Riverwalk in downtown Naperville also flooded as the West Branch of the DuPage River rose with Sunday's soaking rains. Standing water was reported Sunday on parts of Ogden Avenue and Monday in northbound lanes of Naper Boulevard between 75th Street and Hobson Road.
The city made sandbags available Saturday and alerted residents that flooding could occur in downtown and downstream areas.
Officials also advised boaters to stay off the river after firefighters rescued three people on two occasions Friday.
The Lake County Stormwater Management Commission said between 3.7 and 8 inches of rain fell in the past eight days, including as much as 3.1 inches Sunday. Water levels along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers were rising because rain in Wisconsin was moving downstream.
In Lincolnshire, the Des Plaines River was at 15.73 feet Monday but village officials said that because water levels appeared to have stabilized, no evacuations will be ordered.
The river was at moderate flood stage in Gurnee and is expected to crest at 10.5 feet -- 6 inches short of a major flood stage -- but village officials anticipate it will crest lower because of the forecast.
The Fox Waterway Agency of Lake and McHenry Counties reported flooding led to a debris advisory and no-wake restriction on the Chain O' Lakes, and closure of the upper and lower Fox River because of hazardous conditions, according to the agency's website.
The Fox River in Elgin is very high and will remain high for a few days, city spokeswoman Molly Gillespie said.
Walton Island is almost completely underwater and about a third of the grass field at Festival Park is flooded. Other flooded areas include some riverfront yards along Wellington Avenue and property near Grand Victoria Casino downtown.
Several streets are closed due to flooding, such as in Elgin's Poplar Creek neighborhood, she said. The pedestrian bridges to Walton Island and the Fox River Trail under the Chicago Street and Highland Avenue bridges are closed, she said.
- Jeff Knox | Staff Photographer A car navigates high-standing water on Route 31 in St. Charles Monday morning after heavy weekend rain caused flooding across the suburbs.
In downtown St. Charles, the Illinois Street Bridge and the Indiana Pedestrian Bridge were closed last weekend due to elevated Fox River levels. The riverwalk and other nearby pathways also will remain closed until water levels recede, Public Works Director Peter Suhr said.
• Daily Herald reporters Eric Peterson, Elena Ferrarin, Lauren Rohr and Marie Wilson contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Pritzker defends citing of businesses that open too soon; Lake County pilots contact tracing

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker on Monday deflected controversy over a new emergency rule enabling police to issue citations to businesses flouting Illinois ' stay-at-home rule to reduce the spread of COVID-19 .
Until the rule was issued Friday , police had `` limited latitude '' to enforce the state 's gradual reopening plan and stay-at-home order , Pritzker said .
Under existing law , when a business violates an Illinois Department of Public Health rule and puts the public health at risk , it has committed a Class A misdemeanor , Pritzker said , and police can issue a citation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fines or jail for up to a year .
His latest rule `` requiring businesses to follow the existing stay at home order '' updates that authority .
`` This additional tool causes less harm to a business than total shutdown or loss of a license , '' which the state is also empowered to do , he said .
`` Both are expensive measures for a business to come back from and not preferred by anyone , least of all me , '' Pritzker said .
Republicans like Naperville state Rep. Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying Pritzker overstepped his authority `` to quietly issue a rule that would make it a jailable offense for businesses to violate the provisions of his stay home order , '' according to a statement .
So far , `` I 'm not aware of anyone receiving ( citations ) over the weekend , '' Pritzker said , but added it 's crucial business owners `` not put people at risk . ''
The emergency rule came as northeastern Illinois remains on course to have stay-at-home restrictions eased May 29 as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 17.9 % , officials reported Monday , as compared to 18.3 % Sunday , based on a seven-day average .
The number of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois rose by 59 Monday .
This marks the third day in a row of daily fatalities under 100 ; the 14-day average is 114 .
The total number of Illinoisans who have died from the respiratory disease is 4,234 .
The number of new cases rose by 2,294 on Monday , the state reported .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began .
Meanwhile , the Lake County and St. Clair health departments will participate in pilot programs for contact tracing of people infected with COVID-19 , officials announced .
The state intends to hire thousands of contact tracers `` to further control and reduce the rate of spread of COVID-19 , '' Pritzker said .
Lake County was chosen because it has a high number of COVID-19 cases and a strong infrastructure of existing contact tracers along with public health professionals , medical students , and volunteers ready to go .
The state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to coordinate contact tracing and hire workers locally .
`` Contact tracing has been at the foundation of our response to COVID-19 since we identified our first case two months ago , and we encourage anyone who is interested in joining our efforts to apply through the IDPH website , '' Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister said in a statement .
The plan spearheaded by the governor is under attack by Republican lawmakers who want hearings on it this week when the General Assembly convenes .
With the Illinois House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for deliberations , `` there 's so little time ... they have to be focused on the budget , '' Pritzker said .
The state faces a massive shortfall in 2020 and its fiscal year expires June 30 .

Pritzker defends citing of businesses that open too soon; Lake County pilots contact tracing
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new contact tracing initiatives for people with COVID-19 that include an app, plus a collaboration with the Lake County Public Health Department Monday. Associated Press
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday deflected controversy over a new emergency rule enabling police to issue citations to businesses flouting Illinois' stay-at-home rule to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Until the rule was issued Friday, police had "limited latitude" to enforce the state's gradual reopening plan and stay-at-home order, Pritzker said.
Under existing law, when a business violates an Illinois Department of Public Health rule and puts the public health at risk, it has committed a Class A misdemeanor, Pritzker said, and police can issue a citation that involves up to $2,500 in fines or jail for up to a year.
His latest rule "requiring businesses to follow the existing stay at home order" updates that authority.
"This additional tool causes less harm to a business than total shutdown or loss of a license," which the state is also empowered to do, he said.
"Both are expensive measures for a business to come back from and not preferred by anyone, least of all me," Pritzker said.
Republicans like Naperville state Rep. Grant Wehrli have seized on the move, saying Pritzker overstepped his authority "to quietly issue a rule that would make it a jailable offense for businesses to violate the provisions of his stay home order," according to a statement.
So far, "I'm not aware of anyone receiving (citations) over the weekend," Pritzker said, but added it's crucial business owners "not put people at risk."
The emergency rule came as northeastern Illinois remains on course to have stay-at-home restrictions eased May 29 as part of a gradual reopening program. For example, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 17.9%, officials reported Monday, as compared to 18.3% Sunday, based on a seven-day average.
The number of COVID-19 deaths in Illinois rose by 59 Monday. This marks the third day in a row of daily fatalities under 100; the 14-day average is 114.
The total number of Illinoisans who have died from the respiratory disease is 4,234.
The number of new cases rose by 2,294 on Monday, the state reported. There have been 96,485 cases since the outbreak began.
Meanwhile, the Lake County and St. Clair health departments will participate in pilot programs for contact tracing of people infected with COVID-19, officials announced.
The state intends to hire thousands of contact tracers "to further control and reduce the rate of spread of COVID-19," Pritzker said. Lake County was chosen because it has a high number of COVID-19 cases and a strong infrastructure of existing contact tracers along with public health professionals, medical students, and volunteers ready to go.
The state seeks to collaborate with county health departments to coordinate contact tracing and hire workers locally.
"Contact tracing has been at the foundation of our response to COVID-19 since we identified our first case two months ago, and we encourage anyone who is interested in joining our efforts to apply through the IDPH website," Lake County Health Department Executive Director Mark Pfister said in a statement.
The plan spearheaded by the governor is under attack by Republican lawmakers who want hearings on it this week when the General Assembly convenes.
With the Illinois House and Senate just scheduling Wednesday through Friday for deliberations, "there's so little time ... they have to be focused on the budget," Pritzker said. The state faces a massive shortfall in 2020 and its fiscal year expires June 30.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Cook County Forest Preserve lot closures expanded, extended through Memorial Day

The Forest Preserve District of Cook County on Monday announced Memorial Day weekend parking lot closures at two additional sites and extended parking lot closures at six others through the holiday to prevent crowding .
Lots at Dan Ryan Woods near Chicago and Schiller Woods near Schiller Park will be closed Friday , May 22 , through Monday , May 25 , general superintendent Arnold Randall said .
`` These are two forest preserve locations that we know are extremely busy over the summer and holiday weekends , '' Randall said .
`` With these parking lot closures we aim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year they will not become overcrowded or a place where people can not or are not following the rules for physical distancing . ''
In addition , weekend parking lot closures already in effect will be extended through the Monday holiday at Busse Woods , Bunker Hill , Saganashkee Slough , Maple Lake , Catherine Chevalier Woods and LaBagh Woods .
Lots at those locations have been closed on Fridays , Saturdays and Sundays .
Cook County forest preserve restrooms , nature centers , campgrounds , nature play areas and permit offices remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patrons that picnics , cookouts , group sports and gatherings with people outside your household remain prohibited .
He asked people to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at home instead .
`` I know that it has been months of living under the stay-at-home order and that summer feels like it is just around the corner , '' Randall said .
`` I know we all yearn to return to the days of big family get-togethers and meeting friends for an afternoon in the sun .
But I urge everyone to find your way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upcoming weekend .
We all have invested so much in lowering the number of COVID-19 cases .
Let 's not squander that investment now .
Let 's finish the job . ''
Forest preserve patrons who witness groups congregating or people not adhering to social distancing guidelines should call the district 's nonemergency police number at ( 708 ) 771-1000 .

The Forest Preserve District of Cook County on Monday announced Memorial Day weekend parking lot closures at two additional sites and extended parking lot closures at six others through the holiday to prevent crowding.
Lots at Dan Ryan Woods near Chicago and Schiller Woods near Schiller Park will be closed Friday, May 22, through Monday, May 25, general superintendent Arnold Randall said.
"These are two forest preserve locations that we know are extremely busy over the summer and holiday weekends," Randall said. "With these parking lot closures we aim to ensure that on Memorial Day this year they will not become overcrowded or a place where people cannot or are not following the rules for physical distancing."
In addition, weekend parking lot closures already in effect will be extended through the Monday holiday at Busse Woods, Bunker Hill, Saganashkee Slough, Maple Lake, Catherine Chevalier Woods and LaBagh Woods. Lots at those locations have been closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Cook County forest preserve restrooms, nature centers, campgrounds, nature play areas and permit offices remain closed through May 31.
Randall reminded patrons that picnics, cookouts, group sports and gatherings with people outside your household remain prohibited. He asked people to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at home instead.
"I know that it has been months of living under the stay-at-home order and that summer feels like it is just around the corner," Randall said. "I know we all yearn to return to the days of big family get-togethers and meeting friends for an afternoon in the sun. But I urge everyone to find your way to do Memorial Day at home this upcoming weekend. We all have invested so much in lowering the number of COVID-19 cases. Let's not squander that investment now. Let's finish the job."
Forest preserve patrons who witness groups congregating or people not adhering to social distancing guidelines should call the district's nonemergency police number at (708) 771-1000.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--'I am not going to be anybody's boogeyman': DuPage sheriff says county is ready to reopen

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick has joined a chorus of suburban law enforcement officials who say they wo n't enforce Gov .
J.B. Pritzker 's stay-at-home order as a criminal offense .
Mendrick said he believes DuPage is ready to reopen responsibly and he wo n't `` victimize '' lawful residents `` trying to put food on their children 's table . ''
`` We are dealing with a serious rise in crime , new challenges in our correctional facility and a massive upsurge in our courthouse when everything opens back up , '' Mendrick wrote Sunday on social media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge .
This is not the time to introduce fear into our society by threatening class A misdemeanors . ''
Instead , he said , it 's time to help residents and businesses `` get back on their feet . ''
The post on Mendrick 's personal Facebook page came one day after McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim announced his office does n't have the capacity nor desire to enforce the governor 's orders .
Last week , the Kane County sheriff 's office said it would n't take enforcement action against anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judicial order .
On Monday , Mendrick said he decided to post the message after receiving hundreds of phone calls from `` terrified citizens asking me if I 'm going to arrest them '' for meeting with their friends or being at a business .
He said there 's no need to threaten to arrest residents when they are staying home , wearing masks and social distancing to help curb the spread of COVID-19 .
`` Through community policing and education , we 've had full compliance , '' Mendrick said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 's compliant ?
`` This is not political , '' Mendrick said .
`` I have no intention of defying him .
I 'm simply saying we do n't have this problem here .
And I do n't want to create a problem where one does not exist .
And I certainly will not threaten my public .
`` I am not going to be anybody 's boogeyman , '' he said .
Mendrick said he spent so much time reassuring residents and business owners that he wanted to put out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hear so they know we 're not going to be after them . ''
By Monday afternoon , the Facebook post was shared more than 1,600 times and had more than 600 comments .
`` I thought I was going to get rid of all the phone calls by putting a statement out , '' Mendrick said .
But now he 's getting calls from people thanking him .
In the post , Mendrick wrote that he stands with DuPage residents and businesses `` who have offered no trouble or no resistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no matter how strange . ''
Meanwhile , he 's concerned about `` politics pitting everyone against each other and then wanting the police to arrest everyone who disagrees . ''
`` We are not storm troopers , '' he wrote .
`` We are peacekeepers . ''

'I am not going to be anybody's boogeyman': DuPage sheriff says county is ready to reopen
Daily Herald file photoDuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick says he doesn't believe his office needs to enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order as a criminal offense because county residents are already compliant.
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick has joined a chorus of suburban law enforcement officials who say they won't enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order as a criminal offense.
Mendrick said he believes DuPage is ready to reopen responsibly and he won't "victimize" lawful residents "trying to put food on their children's table."
"We are dealing with a serious rise in crime, new challenges in our correctional facility and a massive upsurge in our courthouse when everything opens back up," Mendrick wrote Sunday on social media. "We will rise to the challenge. This is not the time to introduce fear into our society by threatening class A misdemeanors."
Instead, he said, it's time to help residents and businesses "get back on their feet."
The post on Mendrick's personal Facebook page came one day after McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim announced his office doesn't have the capacity nor desire to enforce the governor's orders. Last week, the Kane County sheriff's office said it wouldn't take enforcement action against anyone for violating the executive order without a judicial order.
On Monday, Mendrick said he decided to post the message after receiving hundreds of phone calls from "terrified citizens asking me if I'm going to arrest them" for meeting with their friends or being at a business.
He said there's no need to threaten to arrest residents when they are staying home, wearing masks and social distancing to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
"Through community policing and education, we've had full compliance," Mendrick said. "So why would I threaten a society that's compliant?
He stressed he's not defying Gov. Pritzker.
"This is not political," Mendrick said. "I have no intention of defying him. I'm simply saying we don't have this problem here. And I don't want to create a problem where one does not exist. And I certainly will not threaten my public.
"I am not going to be anybody's boogeyman," he said.
Mendrick said he spent so much time reassuring residents and business owners that he wanted to put out a statement telling everyone "what they need to hear so they know we're not going to be after them." By Monday afternoon, the Facebook post was shared more than 1,600 times and had more than 600 comments.
"I thought I was going to get rid of all the phone calls by putting a statement out," Mendrick said. But now he's getting calls from people thanking him.
In the post, Mendrick wrote that he stands with DuPage residents and businesses "who have offered no trouble or no resistance to any rule we put upon them, no matter how strange."
Meanwhile, he's concerned about "politics pitting everyone against each other and then wanting the police to arrest everyone who disagrees."
"We are not storm troopers," he wrote. "We are peacekeepers."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Conant celebrates its graduates with special goodbye

Conant High School 's graduating seniors were supposed to be striding across the stage at the Sears Centre Arena Monday @ @ @ @ @ start new phase of their lives .
Mother Nature -- the COVID-19 virus , to @ @ @ @ @ ideas .
But despite the lack of either pomp or circumstance , the Hoffman Estates @ @ @ @ @ celebrated their achievements with a car parade Monday .
Held in the parking lot at @ @ @ @ @ the parade featured students driving slowly through the lot to the cheers of their teachers @ @ @ @ @ school 's staff .
Similar events have been held for graduates across the suburbs , @ @ @ @ @ Estates High School .
Boomers Stadium will play host to another parade Wednesday , for @ @ @ @

Conant High School's graduating seniors were supposed to be striding across the stage at the Sears Centre Arena Monday night to receive diplomas and start new phase of their lives.
Mother Nature -- the COVID-19 virus, to be exact -- had other ideas.
But despite the lack of either pomp or circumstance, the Hoffman Estates school's graduates and faculty celebrated their achievements with a car parade Monday.
Held in the parking lot at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg, the parade featured students driving slowly through the lot to the cheers of their teachers and other members of the school's staff.
Similar events have been held for graduates across the suburbs, including last week at Hoffman Estates High School. Boomers Stadium will play host to another parade Wednesday, for Schaumburg High graduates.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--The Deal at 30: Sears workforce declined, but state didn't track its numbers

This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power .
Jobs , thousands of them .
That 's the principal reason state and local officials awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks over 30 years to keep Sears in Illinois .
Under a 2012 law designed to keep the company from leaving the state , Sears was required to maintain at least 4,250 employees at its sprawling offices in Hoffman Estates and a small satellite office in Chicago .
In return , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an estimated $ 275 million .
But as the company fired hundreds of employees in the years leading up to its 2018 bankruptcy , Sears grew increasingly concerned about maintaining the tax breaks , according to interviews and internal corporate documents .
Company officials began counting baristas , fast-food workers and janitors who worked at Sears headquarters but were n't employed by the company , records show .
Sears ' counting methods have raised doubts about the legitimacy of millions of dollars in property tax rebates that the company received from Hoffman Estates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lawsuit against Sears for $ 43 million , charging it overcounted the number of employees and collected public money that it should not have received .
The disputed tallies also reveal uneven enforcement by state and local officials , who allowed tax dollars to flow to Sears while ignoring signs -- including substantial annual losses , store closures and public notices of mass layoffs -- that the fading retail giant was struggling to maintain the required head count .
Politicians who helped draft the tax deals said they were designed to save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Contractors , landscapers and temporary employees deployed to work at Sears-owned properties were never meant to help the company qualify for tax breaks .
`` The intention was to include , or count , jobs of Sears employees and staff , '' said state Rep. Fred Crespo , a Democrat from Hoffman Estates , who drafted the legislation to extend Sears ' tax breaks and once served on the village board .
Transformco , which now owns Sears , declined to comment .
In court papers , attorneys for Sears Holdings Corp. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behemoth , have argued that different agreements with the state and Hoffman Estates included different definitions of jobs .
Under a deal worked out between Illinois and local officials to create a special tax district , Sears could include any worker on its premises .
Under another deal with the state 's economic development agency for tax credits , it could count only Sears employees .
`` Nothing ... limits the type of jobs Sears must 'maintain ' in order to receive its full ( tax credit ) payments , '' wrote David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in a May 2019 lawsuit motion .
The 2012 law established the 4,250 head count level and created penalties if the company fell below the threshold , but it left open to interpretation who was supposed to monitor compliance .
Mayor William McLeod , who helped promote the 2012 deal , said the village had no responsibility to oversee whether Sears kept its promises .
`` I have no mechanism to measure how many people are in those buildings , '' McLeod said .
`` We just follow the law that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Estates leaders first crafted an incentive package for Sears in 1989 , after the company decided to leave its headquarters at the Sears Tower in Chicago and threatened to move out of the state .
Officials created a special taxing district , set to last for 23 years , where Sears could build its headquarters and develop the land into a massive office park .
The property value for purposes of taxation was frozen .
As new development boosted the property 's value , the increase in tax revenues was divided .
Sears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while smaller amounts went to local government agencies .
But the tax deal failed to deliver .
After Sears built its new corporate offices on vacant farmland on the village 's western edge , the flood of new jobs and businesses that was expected to follow never materialized .
The special tax district did not even generate enough revenue to cover the expenses of its development .
Sears wound up paying $ 125 million for new roads and sewers without receiving tax money in return .
By the mid-2000s , the iconic retail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plummeted , under assault from bad management decisions , competition from low-cost alternatives such as Walmart and the rise of internet retailers such as Amazon .
In 2005 , Kmart bought Sears and took over its headquarters in Hoffman Estates .
As the special tax district neared the end of its life in 2012 , Sears officials threatened a second time to move out of Illinois unless state legislators extended the deal for 15 more years .
Sears wanted more time in order for the company to recoup the $ 125 million spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dire results should the company depart .
The state would lose $ 3.2 billion in economic activity , 17,000 jobs and $ 130 million in taxes , according to a study commissioned by Sears .
Concerned about the economic consequences , Hoffman Estates and top state officials were in favor of granting Sears the additional time .
But Sears ' request met with resistance from some legislators and local officials in Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300 .
Its boundaries overlap the Sears tax district , though children from Hoffman Estates attend schools in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tired of years of budget cutting , overcrowding and below-average per-pupil spending were outraged .
They protested at the state Capitol and testified at public hearings against extending the life of the Sears tax district , known as a TIF , or tax increment financing district .
`` When the Sears TIF was proposed , it was sold to the community as , 'This will help District 300 in the future , ' '' said Kenneth Arndt , District 300 's superintendent from 2001 to 2011 .
`` The community was sold a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials said few Hoffman Estates kids go to school in District 300 .
Despite that , the district received $ 52 million from the growth in property tax revenues that resulted from Sears ' decision to build its headquarters and other projects in the village .
The school district would not have received any of that money otherwise , they said .
`` If it was just farmland , they would be making squat from this , '' McLeod said .
State and local politicians approved a new package of benefits for Sears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The special tax district was extended for 15 more years -- a lifeline estimated to be worth $ 125 million in additional tax rebates and exactly the amount Sears needed to cover the costs of building news roads and office parks financed by the company .
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity , the state 's economic development agency , sweetened the deal with an offer of tax credits worth up to $ 150 million over 10 years to be applied against payroll taxes .
State and local officials obtained one big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had to make sure that it kept 4,250 workers employed .
If the company failed to meet the staffing level , the agreements allowed state and local lawmakers to reclaim the credits .
`` The clawbacks were very important , '' said Crespo , the state representative .
`` There 's no way we were going to risk putting the money out there not knowing if we were going to get the returns that we expect to get . ''
Sears itself did the counting .
To obtain the state tax credits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development agency to show the company had maintained more than the 4,250-employee benchmark .
The economic development agency had the ability to review the count or conduct on-site visits .
But when ProPublica and the Daily Herald asked the agency for evidence of its monitoring of Sears since the agreement began , the department provided a single , four-page audit , paid for by Sears and dated May 2015 .
The audit found that 25 employees randomly selected by Sears were listed on the company 's payrolls .
But it also warned that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on compliance . ''
There is no other indication the agency tried to determine if Sears was holding up its end of the deal , even as it annually disbursed approximately $ 15 million in tax credits .
Under the law , agency officials are supposed to issue biennial assessments of the tax credit program 's effectiveness .
However , the state 's auditor general found that the development agency did not issue such reports between 2012 and 2018 on any tax credit deals , including the one for Sears .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a report on the efficacy of the credits was November 2005 , roughly eight years before Sears got its credits .
Officials with the agency declined to comment .
Experts say that Illinois is not alone in its lax oversight of tax-funded development deals .
A 2017 state audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation , for instance , found that the agency did not independently verify job numbers claimed by the beneficiaries of tax credits .
Nor did it penalize companies when it became aware that companies missed targets established in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to hold tax credit recipients accountable for promised economic growth or jobs , experts said .
`` This is the same problem across states , '' said Nathan Jensen , a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies economic development .
`` We do n't see enforcement . ''
Sears ' difficulty in keeping jobs at its headquarters spilled into public view in 2017 .
In February , Sears announced the termination of 120 to 130 employees in Hoffman Estates .
The news was hardly surprising .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands of corporate jobs and closed hundreds of stores .
Layoff announcements at Sears ' headquarters had become almost as regular as holiday-weekend sales at its stores .
State officials began to wonder if Sears was keeping its promises .
In correspondence with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity , Sears assured state officials that the company was fully compliant , with 4,410 employees .
Behind the scenes , Sears was engaged in a daily struggle to cut costs throughout its empire .
Top officials were distributing `` cost challenges '' urging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That meant , among other bad options , downsizing .
But the more people the company shed at its headquarters , the greater the risk became that it would fall below the job requirements to keep its state and local incentives .
Sears staffers tracked its head count as closely as they did sales of Kenmore appliances at its stores , according to corporate records divulged in court filings .
Sears staffers forecast that the company would lose 130 to 140 people at its headquarters complex -- including Sears employees and non-Sears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , the records show .
Based on such attrition , the staffers predicted the company would fall below the 4,250 threshold by February 2018 .
`` If we fall below the threshold , the ( tax district benefit ) is suspended until it 's cured , '' Amita Agarwal , a Sears employee who tracked the numbers , wrote in an email to Rob Riecker , CFO of Sears Holdings , and other senior executives , which was included in a filing by the school district suing Sears .
Agarwal also warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose nearly $ 9 million in revenue from the special tax district .
Agarwal estimated that the company 's head count would be only 3,240 people by the end of 2018 , including all of the tenants and contractors .
`` In order for us to secure this credit , we need to find more tenants and rent out some of the underutilized space at the campus , '' Agarwal advised .
Agarwal declined to comment .
Transformco declined to make Riecker available for an interview .
In June 2017 , Sears eliminated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was little question .
Sears was at least 215 employees short of its minimum head count for eligibility for the state credits -- a fact acknowledged by Howard Riefs , a Sears spokesman at the time .
That month , state officials decided to suspend Sears ' tax credits , refusing to provide nearly $ 15 million in payroll tax rebates that the company believed it was owed .
Sears fought back , threatening to file a lawsuit .
The two sides settled in December 2017 , splitting the difference .
Sears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not to ask for any more for 2017 .
Sears is no longer receiving the credits .
On Nov. 27 , 2017 , more than five months after Sears had already acknowledged that it no longer had 4,250 corporate employees in both Hoffman Estates and Chicago , a Sears executive wrote to village officials .
`` As of the date of this letter , over 4,250 jobs exist at the Sears Holdings ' campus in Hoffman Estates , '' wrote Jonathan Bredemeier , the former director of real estate at Sears .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of jobs dip below the requisite 4,250 jobs . ''
Bredemeier did not return calls for comment .
Sears increased its head count for its taxing district by counting hundreds of employees who did n't work for Sears .
They worked for other companies that rented space in Sears ' gigantic headquarters building , including small businesses such as Evergreen Cleaners and fast-food outlets such as Sbarro Pizza and Panda Express .
Sears also counted hundreds of other outside contractors , including janitorial , maintenance , landscaping and cafeteria workers , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these workers were not full-time employees , as required by the 2012 agreement .
Others were only temporary , project-based workers -- not the corporate-level jobs that Sears had promised to keep in return for the public money .
The difference between the two counts was significant , both in raw numbers and in dollars .
In 2017 , Sears told the state commerce department that it maintained a total of 3,339 employees at its Hoffman Estates headquarters .
The same year , it told Hoffman Estates that it had 4,435 workers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,100 people .
The higher count for the taxing district allowed Sears to make a claim for $ 7 million in property tax reimbursements in 2017 -- money that would have otherwise flowed to local agencies , including District 300 .
The validity of Sears ' counts -- particularly , whether Sears was allowed to include non-Sears employees -- will be determined by the courts .
In 2018 , just days before Sears declared bankruptcy , District 300 filed a lawsuit in Cook County circuit court alleging that Sears inflated its head count @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 43 million in property taxes .
School officials arrived at the figure by calculating the district 's share of tax revenues that , it claims , had been wrongly distributed to Sears since 2013 , plus interest .
In its legal filings , Sears contends that it has fully complied with the tax district 's 4,250-employee requirement .
Sears interprets the guarantee to mean that it only had to `` maintain 4,250 jobs '' and not necessarily `` employees '' inside the tax district .
The special district law , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the types of jobs that the company must maintain .
District 300 says that interpretation `` turns the statute on its head . ''
Only Sears employees should count , the district says .
Since the school district filed its lawsuit in October 2018 , Sears has stretched its interpretation of jobs requirement even further .
The company now claims that it need only maintain 4,250 jobs within the special tax district as a whole and that it is not limited to counting just those who work inside its corporate headquarters .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sears could count the housekeeping staff at the Marriott Hotel , or the concession workers at the Sears Centre , or the firearms sales associates at Cabela 's -- all businesses inside the special tax district -- and still remain eligible for tax breaks .
Village officials said they had no authority to monitor Sears .
Under the tax agreement , Hoffman Estates receives $ 5 million per year from the taxing district -- money that would no longer be guaranteed if it were suddenly shut down because Sears failed to meet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Hoffman Estates ' village attorney , said the village saw itself as a middleman .
It simply collected tax revenues and then distributed them according to the 2012 law -- no matter how many actual employees Sears had in place .
`` If [ Sears ] said they did n't have enough jobs there , '' Janura said , `` the village is still required to send them their check . ''

As Sears' corporate struggles grew, so did its methods for counting a dwindling workforce, and the state didn't track its numbers
The Sears headquarters campus, under construction here in April 1991, was built with the promise of thousands of jobs to come to Hoffman Estates. Daily Herald file photo
This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
Jobs, thousands of them. That's the principal reason state and local officials awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks over 30 years to keep Sears in Illinois.
Under a 2012 law designed to keep the company from leaving the state, Sears was required to maintain at least 4,250 employees at its sprawling offices in Hoffman Estates and a small satellite office in Chicago. In return, the retail icon received tax breaks worth an estimated $275 million.
But as the company fired hundreds of employees in the years leading up to its 2018 bankruptcy, Sears grew increasingly concerned about maintaining the tax breaks, according to interviews and internal corporate documents.
Company officials began counting baristas, fast-food workers and janitors who worked at Sears headquarters but weren't employed by the company, records show.
Sears' counting methods have raised doubts about the legitimacy of millions of dollars in property tax rebates that the company received from Hoffman Estates. A local school district has filed a lawsuit against Sears for $43 million, charging it overcounted the number of employees and collected public money that it should not have received.
The disputed tallies also reveal uneven enforcement by state and local officials, who allowed tax dollars to flow to Sears while ignoring signs -- including substantial annual losses, store closures and public notices of mass layoffs -- that the fading retail giant was struggling to maintain the required head count.
Politicians who helped draft the tax deals said they were designed to save thousands of well-paying corporate jobs at Sears. Contractors, landscapers and temporary employees deployed to work at Sears-owned properties were never meant to help the company qualify for tax breaks.
"The intention was to include, or count, jobs of Sears employees and staff," said state Rep. Fred Crespo, a Democrat from Hoffman Estates, who drafted the legislation to extend Sears' tax breaks and once served on the village board.
Transformco, which now owns Sears, declined to comment.
In court papers, attorneys for Sears Holdings Corp., the remnants of the former retail behemoth, have argued that different agreements with the state and Hoffman Estates included different definitions of jobs. Under a deal worked out between Illinois and local officials to create a special tax district, Sears could include any worker on its premises. Under another deal with the state's economic development agency for tax credits, it could count only Sears employees.
"Nothing ... limits the type of jobs Sears must 'maintain' in order to receive its full (tax credit) payments," wrote David Martin, an attorney for Sears Holdings, in a May 2019 lawsuit motion.
The 2012 law established the 4,250 head count level and created penalties if the company fell below the threshold, but it left open to interpretation who was supposed to monitor compliance.
Mayor William McLeod, who helped promote the 2012 deal, said the village had no responsibility to oversee whether Sears kept its promises.
"I have no mechanism to measure how many people are in those buildings," McLeod said. "We just follow the law that the legislature passed."
Illinois and Hoffman Estates leaders first crafted an incentive package for Sears in 1989, after the company decided to leave its headquarters at the Sears Tower in Chicago and threatened to move out of the state. Officials created a special taxing district, set to last for 23 years, where Sears could build its headquarters and develop the land into a massive office park.
The property value for purposes of taxation was frozen. As new development boosted the property's value, the increase in tax revenues was divided. Sears got most of the new revenue, while smaller amounts went to local government agencies.
But the tax deal failed to deliver. After Sears built its new corporate offices on vacant farmland on the village's western edge, the flood of new jobs and businesses that was expected to follow never materialized. The special tax district did not even generate enough revenue to cover the expenses of its development. Sears wound up paying $125 million for new roads and sewers without receiving tax money in return.
By the mid-2000s, the iconic retail outlet was reeling. Its stock price plummeted, under assault from bad management decisions, competition from low-cost alternatives such as Walmart and the rise of internet retailers such as Amazon. In 2005, Kmart bought Sears and took over its headquarters in Hoffman Estates.
As the special tax district neared the end of its life in 2012, Sears officials threatened a second time to move out of Illinois unless state legislators extended the deal for 15 more years. Sears wanted more time in order for the company to recoup the $125 million spent on development projects.
Sears lobbyists promised dire results should the company depart. The state would lose $3.2 billion in economic activity, 17,000 jobs and $130 million in taxes, according to a study commissioned by Sears.
Concerned about the economic consequences, Hoffman Estates and top state officials were in favor of granting Sears the additional time.
But Sears' request met with resistance from some legislators and local officials in Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300. Its boundaries overlap the Sears tax district, though children from Hoffman Estates attend schools in a different district.
Parents who were tired of years of budget cutting, overcrowding and below-average per-pupil spending were outraged. They protested at the state Capitol and testified at public hearings against extending the life of the Sears tax district, known as a TIF, or tax increment financing district.
"When the Sears TIF was proposed, it was sold to the community as, 'This will help District 300 in the future,'" said Kenneth Arndt, District 300's superintendent from 2001 to 2011. "The community was sold a bill of goods."
But local officials said few Hoffman Estates kids go to school in District 300. Despite that, the district received $52 million from the growth in property tax revenues that resulted from Sears' decision to build its headquarters and other projects in the village.
The school district would not have received any of that money otherwise, they said.
"If it was just farmland, they would be making squat from this," McLeod said.
State and local politicians approved a new package of benefits for Sears that took effect in June 2012. The special tax district was extended for 15 more years -- a lifeline estimated to be worth $125 million in additional tax rebates and exactly the amount Sears needed to cover the costs of building news roads and office parks financed by the company.
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the state's economic development agency, sweetened the deal with an offer of tax credits worth up to $150 million over 10 years to be applied against payroll taxes.
State and local officials obtained one big concession in the new deal. Sears had to make sure that it kept 4,250 workers employed. If the company failed to meet the staffing level, the agreements allowed state and local lawmakers to reclaim the credits.
"The clawbacks were very important," said Crespo, the state representative. "There's no way we were going to risk putting the money out there not knowing if we were going to get the returns that we expect to get."
Sears itself did the counting.
To obtain the state tax credits, Sears filed yearly reports with the economic development agency to show the company had maintained more than the 4,250-employee benchmark.
The economic development agency had the ability to review the count or conduct on-site visits. But when ProPublica and the Daily Herald asked the agency for evidence of its monitoring of Sears since the agreement began, the department provided a single, four-page audit, paid for by Sears and dated May 2015. The audit found that 25 employees randomly selected by Sears were listed on the company's payrolls. But it also warned that the findings were not "an opinion on compliance."
There is no other indication the agency tried to determine if Sears was holding up its end of the deal, even as it annually disbursed approximately $15 million in tax credits.
Under the law, agency officials are supposed to issue biennial assessments of the tax credit program's effectiveness.
However, the state's auditor general found that the development agency did not issue such reports between 2012 and 2018 on any tax credit deals, including the one for Sears. In fact, the last time the agency released a report on the efficacy of the credits was November 2005, roughly eight years before Sears got its credits.
Officials with the agency declined to comment.
Experts say that Illinois is not alone in its lax oversight of tax-funded development deals.
A 2017 state audit of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, for instance, found that the agency did not independently verify job numbers claimed by the beneficiaries of tax credits. Nor did it penalize companies when it became aware that companies missed targets established in their agreements.
State development agencies have traditionally failed to hold tax credit recipients accountable for promised economic growth or jobs, experts said.
"This is the same problem across states," said Nathan Jensen, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin who studies economic development. "We don't see enforcement."
Sears' difficulty in keeping jobs at its headquarters spilled into public view in 2017.
In February, Sears announced the termination of 120 to 130 employees in Hoffman Estates.
The news was hardly surprising. Over the years, the struggling retailer had cut thousands of corporate jobs and closed hundreds of stores. Layoff announcements at Sears' headquarters had become almost as regular as holiday-weekend sales at its stores.
State officials began to wonder if Sears was keeping its promises. In correspondence with the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Sears assured state officials that the company was fully compliant, with 4,410 employees.
Behind the scenes, Sears was engaged in a daily struggle to cut costs throughout its empire. Top officials were distributing "cost challenges" urging managers to find ways to remain solvent. That meant, among other bad options, downsizing.
But the more people the company shed at its headquarters, the greater the risk became that it would fall below the job requirements to keep its state and local incentives.
Sears staffers tracked its head count as closely as they did sales of Kenmore appliances at its stores, according to corporate records divulged in court filings.
Sears staffers forecast that the company would lose 130 to 140 people at its headquarters complex -- including Sears employees and non-Sears employees -- every month in the coming year, the records show. Based on such attrition, the staffers predicted the company would fall below the 4,250 threshold by February 2018.
"If we fall below the threshold, the (tax district benefit) is suspended until it's cured," Amita Agarwal, a Sears employee who tracked the numbers, wrote in an email to Rob Riecker, CFO of Sears Holdings, and other senior executives, which was included in a filing by the school district suing Sears.
Agarwal also warned them of the stakes: Sears could lose nearly $9 million in revenue from the special tax district.
Agarwal estimated that the company's head count would be only 3,240 people by the end of 2018, including all of the tenants and contractors.
"In order for us to secure this credit, we need to find more tenants and rent out some of the underutilized space at the campus," Agarwal advised.
Agarwal declined to comment. Transformco declined to make Riecker available for an interview.
In June 2017, Sears eliminated 375 more corporate jobs. Now, there was little question. Sears was at least 215 employees short of its minimum head count for eligibility for the state credits -- a fact acknowledged by Howard Riefs, a Sears spokesman at the time.
That month, state officials decided to suspend Sears' tax credits, refusing to provide nearly $15 million in payroll tax rebates that the company believed it was owed. Sears fought back, threatening to file a lawsuit. The two sides settled in December 2017, splitting the difference. Sears got tax credits for 2016 but agreed not to ask for any more for 2017. Sears is no longer receiving the credits.
Meanwhile, Sears told Hoffman Estates a different story.
On Nov. 27, 2017, more than five months after Sears had already acknowledged that it no longer had 4,250 corporate employees in both Hoffman Estates and Chicago, a Sears executive wrote to village officials.
"As of the date of this letter, over 4,250 jobs exist at the Sears Holdings' campus in Hoffman Estates," wrote Jonathan Bredemeier, the former director of real estate at Sears. "At no time in 2017 did the number of jobs dip below the requisite 4,250 jobs."
Bredemeier did not return calls for comment.
Sears increased its head count for its taxing district by counting hundreds of employees who didn't work for Sears. They worked for other companies that rented space in Sears' gigantic headquarters building, including small businesses such as Evergreen Cleaners and fast-food outlets such as Sbarro Pizza and Panda Express. Sears also counted hundreds of other outside contractors, including janitorial, maintenance, landscaping and cafeteria workers, who serviced the Sears complex.
Many of these workers were not full-time employees, as required by the 2012 agreement. Others were only temporary, project-based workers -- not the corporate-level jobs that Sears had promised to keep in return for the public money.
The difference between the two counts was significant, both in raw numbers and in dollars.
In 2017, Sears told the state commerce department that it maintained a total of 3,339 employees at its Hoffman Estates headquarters. The same year, it told Hoffman Estates that it had 4,435 workers at its headquarters -- a difference of almost 1,100 people.
The higher count for the taxing district allowed Sears to make a claim for $7 million in property tax reimbursements in 2017 -- money that would have otherwise flowed to local agencies, including District 300.
The validity of Sears' counts -- particularly, whether Sears was allowed to include non-Sears employees -- will be determined by the courts.
In 2018, just days before Sears declared bankruptcy, District 300 filed a lawsuit in Cook County circuit court alleging that Sears inflated its head count for years, depriving local schools of more than $43 million in property taxes. School officials arrived at the figure by calculating the district's share of tax revenues that, it claims, had been wrongly distributed to Sears since 2013, plus interest.
In its legal filings, Sears contends that it has fully complied with the tax district's 4,250-employee requirement. Sears interprets the guarantee to mean that it only had to "maintain 4,250 jobs" and not necessarily "employees" inside the tax district. The special district law, Sears argues, neither specifies nor limits the types of jobs that the company must maintain.
District 300 says that interpretation "turns the statute on its head." Only Sears employees should count, the district says.
Since the school district filed its lawsuit in October 2018, Sears has stretched its interpretation of jobs requirement even further. The company now claims that it need only maintain 4,250 jobs within the special tax district as a whole and that it is not limited to counting just those who work inside its corporate headquarters.
In other words, if it wanted to, Sears could count the housekeeping staff at the Marriott Hotel, or the concession workers at the Sears Centre, or the firearms sales associates at Cabela's -- all businesses inside the special tax district -- and still remain eligible for tax breaks.
Village officials said they had no authority to monitor Sears. Under the tax agreement, Hoffman Estates receives $5 million per year from the taxing district -- money that would no longer be guaranteed if it were suddenly shut down because Sears failed to meet the job requirement.
Arthur Janura Jr., Hoffman Estates' village attorney, said the village saw itself as a middleman. It simply collected tax revenues and then distributed them according to the 2012 law -- no matter how many actual employees Sears had in place.
"If [Sears] said they didn't have enough jobs there," Janura said, "the village is still required to send them their check."