All Politics and Government Content
Section 8 repeal proposed
CHAMPAIGN – A Champaign City Council member is proposing an amendment to the city's human rights ordinance that would repeal anti-discrimination protections for people with government rent subsidies.
Ken Pirok said he has placed his amendment on the Oct. 3 city council agenda and that he thinks he has the five votes needed for passage.
Tax breaks for Christie denied by county board
URBANA – Champaign County Board members are willing to extend tax benefits to attract new business, like an ethanol plant, but balked at doing the same for a new Christie Clinic project.
Only three of 22 board members voted against extending five- to 10-year tax abatements to an enterprise zone that includes a new ethanol plant off Staley Road proposed by The Andersons.
Rental registration vote pushed back in Urbana
URBANA – Rental registration is off the fast track in Urbana.
Mayor Laurel Prussing said Thursday that plans to have a council vote on rental registration on Oct. 2, with implementation to occur on Oct. 15, have been pushed back.
Chanute commission gets look at environmental, structural problems
RANTOUL – The members of Rantoul's newest governmental body took a bus tour of the former Chanute Air Force Base on Thursday.
And no, the group wasn't sightseeing.
Petition dispute complicating election preparations
DANVILLE – Anyone in Illinois' 52nd Senate District voting absentee in this fall's election could get more than one ballot – maybe even three or more – in a worst-case scenario.
Election officials hope that's not the case.
Hydrant checks find one valve not working
URBANA – An inspection of 150 fire hydrants this month by city firefighters found only one hydrant that did not work.
But Illinois American Water Co. disagrees, with a company official saying that all 150 hydrants inspected in Urbana were operational and available for fighting fires.
Street construction project may reopen who-pays issue
CHAMPAIGN – The city's standards for replacing driveway approaches on street construction projects could become an issue again, this time on a project slated to begin soon on Lincolnshire Drive.
On that project, which could begin this week, the city plans to replace nine driveway approaches or aprons on the city right of way, while the approaches won't be replaced on 11 other driveways.
Judge orders board to add name to ballot
A Sangamon County judge handed Socialist Equality Party candidate Joe Parnarauskis a victory on Tuesday, ordering that his name be added to the November ballot.
"I'm very happy about it," Parnarauskis said. "We view it as a complete vindication."
Supporters show for 2nd hearing
DANVILLE – The city's ordinance subcommittee heard a different side of any potential smoking ban during Tuesday's public hearing, with most of the dozen people who spoke favoring a city-wide smoking ban.
Tuesday was the second of three planned public hearings on a smoking ban.
Legislators hope to block power hike
SPRINGFIELD – Legislation that stalled in Springfield in the winter may get new life this fall, as members of the General Assembly and candidates alike look for some action over electricity rate increases in Illinois.
State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, is pushing legislation to head off steep electricity rate increases slated for January 2007.
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