(SPRINGFIELD) Legislation is being discussed in Springfield that would delay the high school start time to 8:45 each morning. Supporters told the State House Education Policy Committee that students that get 8 hours of sleep succeed in classes & experience better mental health. The Illinois Principals Association opposes the idea and said the one-size-fits-all approach may not be feasible. The Committee could vote on the plan this month.
(ROCKFORD) A Rockford lawmaker has filed legislation that would force a downstate Metro East area school to change the nickname it has used for the past 90 years. Democrat State Representative Maurice West says House Bill 3527 is not just for the sake of reform, but for the sake of community mental health as the proposal targets Freeburg Community High School and its mascot, the Midgets. State Representative Kevin Schmidt, representing Freeburg in his district, says the mascot is one of pride, not slander. The bill would restrict “a public educational institution from the adoption or use of a discriminatory mascot.
(CHICAGO) An engineering firm working on the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago says that claims it racially discriminated against a black-owned subcontractor on the project are baseless and that simply criticizing the work does not amount to racism. The lawsuit has drawn national attention to the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals connected to the project, despite the fact that the subcontractor’s work has caused the project to be delayed with costs ballooning from an initial $350 million to now near $830 million.
(SPRINGFIELD) The 2024-2025 Illinois bobcat hunting season ended with 649 cats harvested by statewide hunters and trappers. While the Illinois Department of Natural Resources issued 2,000 bobcat permits in the lottery for the season, twice as many as the previous season, there were 9,200 applicants. Research from SIU at Carbondale shows the Illinois bobcat population could support an increased annual harvest without a drop in numbers.