IRMA's Featured Retailer
We Are Retail: M.D. Trains
M.D. Trains in downtown Woodstock is a full-service hobby shop owned by Matt Drennan, offering model trains, cars, and collectibles for hobbyists of all ages.
The store has become a welcoming community hub for those with a passion for railroading and model building. From vintage finds to modern supplies, M.D. Trains has it all for nostalgic and creative collectors.
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Property owners who grow “native gardens” would be exempt from Chicago’s rules against overgrown weeds under new rules being developed by the Cook County Environmental Commission. [photo by Alex Cheek on Flickr] -
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx speaks to reporters Monday.
Hours of widespread looting in downtown Chicago early morning Monday is increasing tensions among public officials across the city and state, and also activist groups who are demanding for accountability in a police shooting Sunday that sparked the maelstrom. -
AUG 10, 2020
Former Cook County Board of Ethics member Juliet Sorensen during a virtual town hall; Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle
Cook County leaders are vowing to press forward with a series of revisions to beef up the county’s ethics ordinance in the wake of a controversial shake-up in the appointed board that crafted the changes. -
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Tax-increment financing (TIF) districts in Chicago are on track to pull in about $926 million from taxpayers this year, a record haul representing more than one-third of total taxes collected by the city.
Revenues from the special taxing districts jumped inside the city by more than 10 percent since last year, according to a report published Thursday by Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough. When including money from districts scattered across the Cook County suburbs, TIF revenue topped $1.3 billion. Those numbers represent values assessed for the 2019 tax year, which property owners are paying this year. -
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AUG 06, 2020
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Teachers and parents pushed back against the district's plan to have most kids in school for two days per week.
CHICAGO — The city’s public schools will start the year Sept. 8 with all kids taking online, remote classes, officials announced Wednesday, reversing a previous decision to begin with some in-class instruction.
The move comes after weeks of pushback from teachers, parents and community members, who worried the district’s plan — to have a hybrid model where most kids would spend at least a few days in school — would expose children, families and faculty to coronavirus. -
Chicago health officials provided aldermen with new details on the city’s contact tracing program on Wednesday, as daily cases of COVID-19 slowly increase in the city.
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AUG 06, 2020
Gov. JB Pritzker gives an update on unemployment benefits and statewide Covid-19 cases during a press conference on Wednesday
Gov. J.B. Pritzker blamed federal regulators for allowing widespread unemployment fraud to flourish in Illinois, saying the Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has flagged more than 100,000 cases of fraud this year. -
AUG 05, 2020
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s office is scheduled to assume the duties of the Recorder of Deeds’ office, currently led by Ed Moody, in December.
Representatives of Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough predict being able to save the county up to $1.1 million next year by assuming the staff and responsibilities of Cook County Recorder of Deeds Ed Moody, more than doubling earlier expectations. However, the offices still face significant hurdles, including a historic budget crisis that may force more cuts and convincing a court-appointed monitor that they can purge patronage from their hiring practices. -
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AUG 04, 2020
Cook County officials who oversee technology, finance and workforce development have met or exceeded self-imposed goals but the county’s office of procurement and Justice Advisory Council have fallen short, according to a series of “performance dashboards” published by county board President Toni Preckwinkle on Monday.
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AUG 04, 2020
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A suspect has been arrested in the murder of 9-year-old Janari Ricks and the Cabrini Green community played a key role in the arrest, Chicago Police officials said Monday.
Speaking to reporters Monday outside the Near North (18th) Police District, Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said a suspect is in custody and police are working with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine charges. He stressed that the main reason for the quick arrest was neighbors who spoke up. -
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AUG 03, 2020
Seeking to close what he considers a loophole allowing illegal firearm sales, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart is calling on state lawmakers to pass legislation to increase restrictions on ammunition sales in Illinois.
