Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Ticks in Illinois Found to Have Heartland Virus Last summer (2018), a Kankakee County resident tested positive for Heartland virus, the first case reported in Illinois. In response to this human case, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) collaborated with the Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Laboratory (INHS MEL) and Kankakee County Health…
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Sanders and Cummings blast Drug Company obstruction of Generic Drug price hike probe Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent letters to Heritage Pharmaceuticals, Mylan N.V., and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., opening an investigation…
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Harper’s Anti-Hunger Bill Signed into Law A measure to expand options for people experiencing food insecurity spearheaded by state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, recently became law in Illinois. “Far too many Illinoisans don’t have a place to prepare, store or cook food in order to receive necessary sustenance,” State Rep. Sonya Harper said. “Unfortunately, overly-restrictive…
Stagg students invited on Lady Gaga stage during Las Vegas show Two Stagg High School students were among 16 teens invited on stage at a Lady Gaga concert in Las Vegas. Morgan Sukalo and Persephone Valdes represented Stagg’s participation as one of only 8 schools in the country to provide Teen Mental Health First Aid training in…
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Brighton Park neighbors demand state restore mental health services Brighton Park Neighborhood Council holds 2019 Public Meeting In the midst of strong political turmoil, threats to immigrant communities, attacks on black and brown youth, and a push for a higher wage, the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and community members organize a Public Meeting with legislators. …
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I promise, I didn’t write this column high on the Ganja The decision by the State of Illinois to legalize marijuana has raised some concerns from foes. But marijuana is really no different than alcohol. And if they want to eliminate marijuana, they should eliminate alcohol, too, from our retail stores. By Ray Hanania Anybody…
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State cautions residents about Blue-Green Algae threat in lakes Illinois Officials Caution Residents Recreating in Illinois Lakes or Rivers to be Aware of Blue-Green Algae As temperatures begin to rise, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Public Health are reminding residents to be cautious if they are planning activities on Illinois lakes and…
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Pritzker Applauds Cannabis law, passes Illinois House The Illinois House approved the legislation legalizing adult-use cannabis, sale of recreational Marijuana (Cannabis), a vote appaluded by Gov. JB Pritzker. “The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation. This will have a transformational impact on our state,…
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Sandoval cosponsors legislation to legalize adult-use recreational cannabis in Illinois Proposal includes provisions for expungement, equitable participation in the industry. The Illinois Senate on Thursday May 30, 2019 voted 38-17 to approve the legislation after about 40 minutes of debate. It must still pass the Illinois House. Recreational cannabis could soon be legal in Illinois under…
Ford Introduces Legislation to Save Lives in the Opioid Overdose Epidemic Emphasizing that we have to do everything that we can to save lives during the epidemic of deaths from overdoses, state Rep. La Shawn K. Ford, D-Chicago, has introduced legislation to make sure that those who have suffered an overdose have the antidote medicine…
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Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele declares Racism as a “Public Health Crisis” County Executive Chris Abele today joined Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson, Supervisor Supreme Moore Omokunde and the Office on African American Affairs (OAAA) to sign the resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. The resolution builds on the county’s efforts to ensure racial equity is…
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Charter Fitness to increase monthly fee to $15 Charter Fitness® will be celebrating its’ 16th year in business in 2019. Although our name and ownership has changed over the years, we continue to work hard at providing you with the best fitness experience possible. When the new owners, Mike and Glenn, took over in May…
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Gov. Pritzker, legislators move to legalize Adult-Use cannabis Sen. Heather Steans, Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Sen. Hutchinson, Rep. Gordon-Booth, Rep. Villanueva, Lt. Gov. Stratton Join Numerous Stakeholders Support Measure to Legalize Cannabis for Adult Use on Jan. 1, 2020 Gov. JB Pritzker, key lawmakers and stakeholders from around the state announced that they have agreed on…
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Stagg High School Selected to Participate in teen Mental Health First Aid Pilot Program Stagg High School will train more than 500 high school students in Palos Hills, Illinois Stagg High School is participating in the country’s first teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) pilot program the week of April 22 in Palos Hills, Illinois….
Willis, Welch bill to make hospital closure tougher passes House State Reps. Kathleen Willis, D-Northlake, and Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, are continuing their push to keep Westlake Hospital open by passing legislation that makes it harder for wealthy health management companies to purchase local hospitals and then close down to pad profits. “Hospitals need every…
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OFPD graduates 12 residents in Emergency Training program The Orland Fire Protection District Tuesday (Feb 26, 2019) honored 12 citizens who completed the district’s nine-week emergency response training class called CERT — Citizen Emergency Response Team. Battalion Chief William Ledden who supervises the training course said that 52 residents have graduated since th program began….
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Harper to host Community Health Fair to on trauma and gun violence Community residents will have the chance to learn how to respond to incidents of gun violence and assist trauma victims during a Community Health Fair that state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, will host on Saturday, March 23. “For our community, we have to…
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WalletHub: Best and worst states for retirement A new report from WalletHub.com ranks Illinois at only 28 in terms of the best states for individuals to retire. The number one state is Florida, followed by South Dakota, Colorado, New Hampshire and Virginia. The survey measures a range of benefits including taxes, home service costs, senior…
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