Chicago Public Schools has extended the deadline for people applying to run in 2022 Local School Council elections, district officials announced Wednesday. The new filing deadline is Wednesday, March 9 at 3 p.m. More information on Local School Council elections is available online.

Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) released a statement saying, “Today’s federal indictment of Michael Madigan is especially significant for the 25th ward as new evidence has been revealed about the corruption and pay-to-play politics that my predecessor, Danny Solis, subjected our communities to for years. Solis’ name is mentioned 58 times in Madigan’s indictment, and time will surely tell the extent of their corruption. Corruption, which has a very real cost for Chicagoans. Here in the 25th ward, we are still cleaning up the mess Solis left behind.”  

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) and Ald. Michele Smith (43) issued a joint statement on the Madigan indictment, saying they are “grateful for the U.S. attorneys who have been building this case. We will continue to strengthen ethics laws and government transparency at City Hall, building on the laws we passed that prohibit government officials from lobbying City Hall for private interests.”  

Ald. James Cappleman (46) tweeted, “Please register and submit your questions for our Affordable Housing Seminar on March 9. Featured speakers will be Rafael Leon, Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corp and Daniel Hertz, Policy Director for Chicago Dept. of Housing.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted, “This week, I joined 32 of my City Council colleagues in calling for @ChiSisterCities to suspend its relationship with Moscow, and I thank @WorldBizChicago for swiftly acting on this suspension.”  

Cook County Comm. Sean Morrison (R-17) tweeted, “Scores have been indicted in Illinois! To the Federal Prosecutors; Thank you and more of this please! Attention maintenance department, we Need a Clean up in isle Illinois please.” 

The Environmental Law and Policy Center will hold their 2022 gala at Navy Pier on June 7. Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased online.    

The Illinois Manufactures’ Association launched their “Makers Madness” contest on Wednesday. It’s a bracket-style contest that asks voters to choose the coolest thing made in Illinois. Nominations are being accepted online through March 20. The contest will be completed on April 27. 

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) tweeted, “Extremely excited that HB3988 for Missing & Murdered Chicago Women & Girls passed on the House floor this afternoon. On to the Senate. These women deserve for us to be their voice!”  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted, “More than a year ago I made the decision to oppose former Speaker Mike Madigan because of the pervasive culture of mistrust and corruption that rested at his feet. The news of his indictment today reaffirms why I made that decision.”  

Rep. Jen Gong-Gershowitz (D-Skokie) tweeted, “Proud to be one of the 19.”  

Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) tweeted, “Today's indictment of the former Speaker and leader of the @IllinoisDems is no surprise. As Governor, I'll root out corruption and ensure those who engage in illegal activity are prosecuted and pay a steep price for violating public trust. It’s time to reform Springfield. #twill"  

Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) tweeted, “Corruption in politics must be called out and prosecuted wherever it exists and I applaud the efforts of the U.S. attorney's office, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation Division, and the grand jury to bring the light of justice to bear on this situation."  

Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) tweeted, “Today’s indictment of Mike Madigan has been a long time coming, Never should someone so obviously engaged in public corruption have been able to stay in office for so long and abuse the taxpayers of our state for personal gain.”  

Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) tweeted, “I want to thank the Feds for their tremendous work. This is another step in the long process of cleaning up Illinois corruption. This indictment underscores why it is so important to empower a statewide grand jury on corruption - so we can finally begin to clean up our own house” 

Chicagoans who are interested in applying to be an election judge or an election coordinator for the June 28 Primary Election can now apply online, officials announced Tuesday. Judges who are new or returning and complete the online training and show up on Election Day will be paid at least $230, according to a news release from the Chicago Board of Elections. Election coordinators who finish training, pass the required tests, pick up election materials and serve on Election Day will be paid $450, according to the news release.

Jennifer Johnson Washington has joined the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events as First Deputy Commissioner, she announced on LinkedIn.  

Five states and territories were removed from the Chicago Department of Public Health COVID-19 Travel Advisory on Tuesday, the department announced. Another 13 states could be removed from the advisory list next week as their average daily new cases have dipped below 15 per 100,000 people. The states and territories removed from the travel advisory list were District of Columbia, Nebraska, Ohio, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The average U.S. rate on Tuesday was 18.8 per 100,000 residents, the Illinois average was 14.7 and Chicago’s daily case rate is 7.6.   

The Reader and Injustice Watch will host a virtual panel discussion at 6 p.m. Tuesday titled “Navigating Cook County’s Domestic Violence Court.” Hosted by Injustice Watch senior reporter Maya Dukmasova, the panel will includer Reader reporter Kelly Garcia, Mallory Littlejohn of the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), Amanda Pyron of The Network and survivor Alisa Holman. Online registration is required. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted “We are wishing you a prosperous start to March and acknowledge Women's History Month, a time dedicated to commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “What a pleasure joining my colleague @AldermanTabares in honoring Shelly Perez, former head of the Gold Star Families, for her seven years of dedicated service to @cpdmemorial @Chicago_Police and the surviving families of officers whom lost their lives on duty.”  

Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) tweeted “I stand with Ukraine, as well as those around the world who protest this war. I pray for a rapid de-escalation and end to this invasion.”  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) in a thread tweeted “Today @ChicagoOIG released a report on racial and ethnic disparities on CPD’s use of force incidents. It’s absolutely worth reading and there should be a hearing to have a chance to discuss it and ask questions to both OIG and CPD.”  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) shared a Sun-Times article and tweeted “Thank you Dr. Ezike for your service to our State, good luck with your next endeavor.”  

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “From Kitihawa to Michelle Obama and everyone in between, Chicago has benefitted from the leadership of so many great women! Take the time to celebrate this month” 

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike announced Tuesday she will be leaving her post as director on March 14. “Being the state’s top doc during a global pandemic has been challenging to say the least, but it’s been an amazing journey to work with so many great public health professionals and leaders from all sectors,” Ezike said in a statement. Amaal Tokars, Ezike’s assistant director, will become interim director as a search gets underway to find a replacement.   

The Illinois Commerce Commission’s 2021 Diversity Report shows Illinois’ six largest utilities have steadily grown diversity spending over the last six years. Diverse spending has grown from an average of 15 percent to 33 percent and some utilities 50 percent of their spending was on diverse suppliers.   

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is launching their annual “Makers Madness” bracket. The bracket allows people to vote on what they believe is the “coolest thing” made in Illinois.

Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) tweeted, “This is a huge conflict of interest that is benefiting our billionaire governor. All the governor had to do was NOT invest in companies doing business with the State of Illinois.”  

Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) tweeted, “Ukraine flag flying along with our own in Springfield today!”  

Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) tweeted, “I had a great time last night talking about the importance of the upcoming Supreme Court elections in Illinois with @demsforillinois. Don’t sleep on these races y’all.”  

Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-Skokie) tweeted, “This month, the House is in session. Last week, two of my bills passed out of the House: the Drug Take-Back Act and a bill that allows for digitally displaying a Healthcare Power of Attorney.”  

Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort) tweeted, “As one of the very few veteran senators, I’ve personally wrote laws to benefit veterans across Illinois. Every year Illinois has strengthened our benefits provided to veterans. This year we have the chance to take care of families of veterans who are permanently disabled, deceased because of their disability or were a POW/MIA. Looking forward to its passage in the house.”  

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted, “Thank you Dr. Ezike, for being the trusted face and multi-lingual voice of public health during the pandemic. Illinois thanks you for protecting our health and well being. Hopefully there is rest in your future, you deserve it!”  

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) tweeted, “I don’t use this word lightly, but Dr. Ezike has truly been a hero through the last two years. How lucky we’ve been to have her leadership. Wishing her some richly deserved R&R!” 

Monday marked the last day for Treshonna Nolan in her position as Chief Communications Officer for Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia’s office, Nolan told The Daily Line in an email on Monday. Deputy Chief Communications Officer Alyssa Goodstein will fill Nolan’s role on an interim basis.  

Researchers Amy Khare of Case Western University and April Jackson of the University of Illinois at Chicago will host a webinar at 1:30 p.m. Thursday to present their study, “Household and Community Change Within Chicago’s Woodlawn Neighborhood.” The event will also feature a panel discussion including Chicago Department of Housing Comm. Marisa Novara and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development administrator Diane Shelley.  

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas sent a reminder announcement that First Installment property taxes for the 2021 tax year are due on Tuesday. As of Monday, 70 percent of the county’s 1.8 million property owners had already paid their first-round tax bills, including 207,000 people who paid on the cookcountytreasurer.com. 

Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) tweeted, “My measure to provide clarity with the use of county recorders’ seal as a signature has passed the Senate”  

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted, “On this final day of Black History Month, I am tremendously honored to be recognized by the City of Blue Island and Mayor Fred Bilotto with the Trailblazer Award. Special thanks to Rep. Bob Rita and Rep. Will Davis for the strong support.”  

Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado (D-Chicago) tweeted, “As we rebuild the state workforce to provide better services for #Illinoisans, we must ensure that the workforce reflects our communities. While we represent almost 18% of the labor force, we are less than 7% of the state employees, we must move the needle”  

Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) tweeted, “As we move into this new phase, I urge kindness, patience and cooperation for everyone.”  

Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) tweeted, “Last week was a busy one in Springfield! One of the bills I was most proud to pass would provide up to 10 days of leave following a pregnancy loss or stillbirth, among other issues negatively impacting pregnancy or fertility.”  

Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Chicago) tweeted, “A thank you note to those we deputized to be mask enforcers these last couple of years. Thank them today, and give them a smile.”  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted, “I see those "peeing on whoever" stickers all the time. This is the real deal folks. A Ukrainian leader (Maria Mezentseva) we hosted here in Springfield lives in Kharkiv.  I wake up this morning in the Land of the Free. She woke up this morning in the Home of the Brave.” 

The 30 by 30 Conservation Task Force will host public listening sessions over the next two months to gather input from residents. The 30 by 30 task force discusses how can protect 30 percent of the state’s land and water resources by 2030. People interested in submitting oral or written testimony can email [email protected]. More information about the sessions can be found at https://bit.ly/IL30x30.  

Nicor Vice President of Community and Economic Development Meena Beyers has been named to Board of Directors at Intersect Illinois. Intersect Illinois is an economic development organization that works to bring jobs and businesses to the state.   

The Illinois 60 by 2025 Network is rebranding itself as the Illinois Education and Career Success Network. The network was launched to push Illinois toward getting 60 percent of adults college degrees or postsecondary education credentials by 2025. The Network reports it is on track to meet that goal and the rebranding will help it continue its mission of increasing the number of people who choose postsecondary education.  

Gov. JB Pritzker announced he will appoint Melverta Wilkins to the State Employees’ Retirement System Board of Trustees, Sarah Doherty and Roger Taylor to the Illinois State Museum Board and Pilar Guerrero to the State Board of Health. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Today I join 32 of my City Council colleagues in calling to revoke Moscow’s Sister Cities status because of Russia’s aggression against the Ukraine. We stand united with those working to protect liberty & democracy. Other American cities should follow our lead now!”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted an update about recent zoning decisions in his ward at 2176 W. Eastwood Ave., 4625 N. Lincoln Ave. and 1747 W. Henderson St.   

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “Are you an artist? Connect with the CTA to help create public art for the updated Red Line stations in our neighborhood!”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “Today the indoor mask mandate will be lifted. We have a duty to care for our elderly, our immunocompromised and those individuals who are too young or are unable to get vaccinated. For your safety and ours, we will continue to wear and require masks in our office.”  

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted “Update on the Former Northtown Library Building - A potential buyer has made an offer with the Chicago Department of Planning and Development to purchase the old Northtown Library at 6435 N. California.” 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) and Ald. Matt Martin (47) will host a virtual event at 6:30 p.m. Monday titled “Facts and Trends: Crime in Chicago” with researchers from the University of Chicago Crime Lab. They will “discuss which crimes are up and by how much, and how Chicago's crime rates compare to our peer cities.” Online registration is required.  

Chicago Teachers Union will join the group Parents, Educators and Clergy for Education at 5:30 p.m. at the CTU Center for “Jammin' for P.E.A.C.E.,” an evening of “spoken word, live comedy and a performance by the band Soulful Exposure.” RSVP is required. 

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted a photo of a protest in Ukrainian Village and wrote, “So proud that Chicago stands strong with Ukraine!”  

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted, “Chicago must plan on welcoming Ukrainians refugees. Now!  

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) shared a photo of the opening of the Maria Elena Sifuentes Apartments in Albany Park and tweeted, “Proud of all the work we did to make this affordable housing development a reality. We will keep organizing because we need so much more! Grateful to have worked with all these amazing partners!  

Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) tweeted, “The Senate needs to act quickly on the @POTUS nomination for the Supreme Court. Herstory in the making.”  

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted, “I had such a great time at K’s Dugout presenting the candidates for the IL-13 State Rep seat to our neighbors and then meeting up with [Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago)] and One People’s Campaign at @UrbanBrewLabs in the #40th!  

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) announced that he will host a public safety webinar with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart at 4 p.m. Wednesday to “discuss their crime reduction initiatives, Carjacking Task Force, and answer pre-submitted questions.” Online registration is required.  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted, “Last week, we stopped @chicagosmayor's regressive asset forfeiture legislation aka the Victims' Justice Ordinance in its tracks! Working with civil rights & liberties and community advocacy organizations, & City Council members, we elevated our concerns.” 

Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Illinois would receive about $760 million from a settlement in a $26 billion opioid lawsuit against drug manufacturers. The settlement ends three years of negotiations involving over 4,000 claims against drug manufacturers by state and local governments. The settlement also includes several requirements for drug manufacturers, including requiring Johnson and Johnson to stop selling opioids.   

Gov. JB Pritzker confirmed the state’s indoor mask mandate will end on Monday. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has decreased by 50 percent since earlier this month when Pritzker announced the mask mandate would be lifted.   

The Department of Children and Family Services is offering scholarships to youth in foster care or who were formerly in foster care. The agency’s scholarship program will provide 53 scholarships that will pay for a student’s tuition and fees at participating community colleges and universities in Illinois.   

Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday he was appointing Dorothy Cox-Stowe and Angela Botz as members of the Access and Functional Needs Advisory Committee. Cheryl Ingram, Marcus Salone and Stephen Sawyer were appointed to the Resentencing Task Force. Charles Hartman was appointed to the Medicaid Managed Care Oversight Commission. Christopher Scholtz was appointed public administrator and public guardian for Schuyler, Brown, Hancock and Adams Counties. Deborah Stein was appointed to the Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities. Nora Collins-Mandeville was appointed to the Racial Disproportionality in Child Welfare Task Force. Glyn Ramage was appointed to the Capital Development Board. Daniel Reichen was appointed to the Commission on Equity and Inclusion. Brian Barov was appointed administrative law judge of the Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal. And Jane Flanagan was appointed director of the Department of Labor. 

Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) tweeted, “To restore public trust in local government officials, I am sponsoring a measure alongside Senator Dave Syverson, to create a process to place local officials on administrative leave for those accused of violating their oath.”  

Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) tweeted, “The people of Illinois deserve to know the extent of Pritzker’s personal financial benefit off one of the largest state contracts.”  

Rep. Joe Sosnowski (R-Rockford) tweeted, “It’s refreshing to see sane guidance regarding covid protocols. We need this common sense in Illinois. Hopefully with the mandate ruling disappearing on Monday it will be a step in the right direction.”  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted, “SB 2981 just passed the Senate! Streamlining the implementation of infrastructure improvements will save taxpayer dollars and rebuild our roads, bridges and mass transit systems in a transparent & equitable manner.”  

Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) tweeted, “I've sponsored SB1143 because teachers spending their money on classroom supplies deserve a tax break.”  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted, “OTD three years ago I was honored to meet in our state capitol with a group of rising leaders from Ukraine. Today I fear they are all on Putin's hit list. #StandWithUkraine"  

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted, “My bill SB4028 requiring schools provide instruction on how & where to access mental health just passed the Senate! It also sets up a youth mental health council to ensure that an LGBTQ-led, POC-led, & woman-led community based mental health provider be at the table!”  

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Waukegan) tweeted, “The Senate approved SB 3073 today! 🌟 

Waukegan has too long been burdened by environmental hazards, and by requiring the plant to clean up its ash ponds, we are closer to reaching environmental justice and progressing to a cleaner, greener future.” 

Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago will host “financial fresh start” financial education webinars at 6 p.m. on March 8 and March 22 and will host a “foreclosure prevention workshop” at 6 p.m. on March 17. Online registration is required. 

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted “So glad to stand with @Delia4Congress in solidarity with our Ukrainian neighbors and in support of Ukrainian sovereignty.”  

Ald. Pat Dowell (3) tweeted “Yesterday, @chicagosmayor and I sponsored a resolution to stand in support of @POTUS's nomination of a Black Woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. Ensuring diverse voices amongst the justices is more important than ever.”  

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted “Solidarity with the residents of Ukraine as the Russian military attacks their sovereignty, their rights, and their lives. Solidarity with the Russian protesters who are risking so much to speak out against this tragedy.”  

Ald. Harry Osterman (48) tweeted “Today, we stand united with our Ukrainian neighbors and pray for the safety of those in the midst of the horrifying attacks in Ukraine.”  

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “Wild Onion Market has signed a ten-year lease on a site at 7007 N. Clark in Chicago. Our office will host a community meeting on Tuesday, March 1, at 6 pm, to discuss Wild Onion Market's proposal and the liquor moratorium request. Register: https://buff.ly/3v9zElf.” 

Springfield, Jackson County, Knox County, Mercer County, Whiteside County and the Village of Elsah have been chosen to be a part of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Accelerate Illinois Broadband Infrastructure Planning Program. The program works with the communities on ways to use new state and federal infrastructure funding to create broadband plans that best fit their local needs.   

The Illinois Product Expo hosted by the Department of Agriculture will take place at the state fairgrounds in Springfield on March 5 and 6. The expo allows food companies and consumers in the state to showcase and try food products. Admission to the expo is $5.

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted, “This afternoon my bill SB3865 passed the Senate floor. This bill removes the use of "alien" in any Illinois statute in reference to people who have mixed statuses as well as removes the word when referring to commerce outside of Illinois and the country. This progress takes us one step closer to fostering trust and equity in our immigrant communities. We all know at least one person, neighbor, and/or community member who is either an immigrant or child of an immigrant so be sure to inform them of the progress made today!” 

en. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) tweeted, “We make it undeniably clear that purchasing Illinois-made is the best decision for both workers and consumers by incentivizing residents to choose from the many high-quality vehicles we manufacture in-state.”  

Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel (D-Shorewood) tweeted, “I'm so proud of my colleagues for coming together to address the teacher shortage crisis here in Illinois. This is just the beginning of making sure our school's have the support they need to keep educators in classrooms.”  

Rep. Jen Gong-Gershowitz (D-Skokie) tweeted, “Three years after @RepKellyCassidy gave me the opportunity to run the Drug Take-Back Act as a freshman legislator, it passes the House 96-13. Thank you to @ilenviro, @ILRetail, @SWALCOfor their collaboration in moving us one step closer to a statewide drug take-back program.”  

Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) tweeted, “My COLA pension buyout extension bill just passed the House! This program has already reduced our pension debt by $1.4billion - on to the Senate…”  

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) tweeted, “This afternoon I joined members of the Ukrainian community in my district to denounce the attack on Ukraine and call for peace. I stand with the international community condemning this unprovoked attack which will cause significant harm to the people of Ukraine.”  

Rep. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted, “Today I stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and condemn Russia’s unprovoked attack of a sovereign nation. The free world must join together to send a clear and strong message that this invasion and aggression will not be accepted.”  

Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) tweeted, “Russia's invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine today speaks volumes of US's current global reputation. Evil does exist in this world. As Reagan once said “We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression.” Prayers for the people of Ukraine.”  

Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Elmhurst) tweeted, “Retail thieves continue to get more aggressive, this time in #Hinsdale, necessitating increased police patrols. Yet in Springfield, the Democrats on the criminal justice committee on which I sit continues to do nothing about it. #PublicSafety"  

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted, “America needs to #StandWithUkraine and so much more.”