Pritzker’s mask appeal denied
An appeals court has denied Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that his school mask and exclusion policy is null and void.
In a decision published late Thursday evening, two of three Fourth District Appellate Court justices said since the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules blocked Pritzker’s latest school mask mandate rule earlier this week, Pritzker’s appeal is moot because there is no rule in place.
The appeals court notes that local school districts can manage COVID-19 mitigations independently.
No more mitigations at U of I games
Fans of University of Illinois athletics will soon see changes at sporting events.
The University of Illinois announced that starting Feb. 28, the school will drop its mask mandate, except in instructional spaces. Fans will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend Illini sporting events.
Illinois child welfare director found in contempt again
A judge Thursday ordered Illinois Department of Children and Family Services director Marc Smith in contempt of court for the fourth time in two months.
According to CBS Chicago, the latest order involves the department repeatedly moving a teenager who has been transferred between foster homes, psychiatric hospitals and shelters a total of 24 times since November.
Jury says Floyd was fit for trial
A jury has decided a convicted cop killer was fit to stand trial. A Cook County jury came to the same decision Thursday as an earlier panel and found Marcus Floyd, who murdered a Chicago police officer seven years ago, was fit to stand trial.
Floyd’s attorney claimed his client suffered from retrograde amnesia and could not recall the time surrounding the murder.
Snow fall ranges from 5 to 12 inches
There are some impressive snow totals from Thursday’s winter storm.
The National Weather Service reports the highest total was in Manito with 12 inches. Nine inches was reported in Bloomington-Normal, while Springfield received closer to 6 inches of the white stuff.
Officials are still cleaning up an accident on Interstate 39 north of Normal which involved over 100 vehicles. No injuries were reported.
Recall issued over wrong can contents
Thousands of cans of Cincinnati-style chili are being recalled after customers in Illinois and elsewhere opened the cans and found something other than chili inside.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced this week that the cans of Skyline Chili, marketed as “Cincinnati’s Famous,” were recalled due to misbranding.
Consumers reported that some cans of chili actually contained cream of chicken soup instead.
