***Update: Pro Publica is hosting a virtual event on the subject of police ticketing students for minor misbehavior at schools in Illinois, Tuesday, September 20. Get info/register here: Ticketed at School The Chicago Tribune and Pro Publica jointly published an investigative report earlier this year about Illinois schools’ use of in-house police officers to issue…
Ward meeting discovery: Alderman McAdams is having trouble keeping up
Fifth Ward alderman Scott McAdams held a ward meeting last week. I’ve listened to a recording of it that’s making the rounds. One item of note from the meeting is the alderman’s admission that he’s not read the draft update of DeKalb’s comprehensive plan even though the city is collecting public input. I’ve transcribed his…
Letter: County board member Scott Campbell explains his votes this week
On Wednesday evening, DeKalb County Board held a special meeting to vote on three items: Placing a referendum on the November ballot asking county residents to approve a property tax levy to maintain DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center (DCRNC). Accepting Saba Healthcare’s Letter of Intent (LOI) to purchase DCRNC. Accepting Illuminate HC’s LOI to…
DeKalb County and the prospect of multiple and unknown buyers of its skilled nursing facility
On Facebook, I promised this week to trace the connections between the Hunter Properties people and Saba Healthcare, LLC, one of the companies interested in purchasing DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing (DCRNC). The connections may be an issue for people in the area, because City of DeKalb spent a lot of time and money pursuing…
A sexual harassment complaint against a housing authority employee
***UPDATE 7/6/22*** Housing authority has released the complaints as the PAC requested. They’re the same as the ones I obtained from an alternative source, except the authority has redacted personal information from them. I’ve placed the file in the FB group, here. In January 2022, on a tip, I sent a Freedom of Information Act…
Determination: DeKalb must release locations of license plate readers
The Public Access Counselor of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has determined that City of DeKalb improperly denied a Freedom of Information Act request for the locations of its license plate reader cameras (LPRs). DeKalb fought release of the information beyond all reason. This post examines three ways the city embarrassed itself doing it. The…
Determination: housing authority must release complaint against its employee
The Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) has informed the local housing authority that it must release a sexual harassment complaint against one of its employees. Last winter, it came to my attention that a sexual harassment complaint against an employee of the Housing Authority of the County of DeKalb (HACD) had been sent…
The depot’s place in a comprehensive development plan
During DeKalb’s last Planning & Zoning Committee (P&Z) meeting, a member of the public asked whether Union Pacific Railroad intended to sell its old train depot. The reply: City Manager Nicklas responded he has had several conversations regarding the rumor of Union Pacific selling the depot, however as far as he knows they are not…
Children as city revenue sources
Schools in Illinois are not allowed to “ticket” children for misbehavior. So they have the police do it, according to a new series of articles by Pro Publica and Chicago Tribune. A boy named Kameron, who had shoved his friend over a Lipton peach iced tea in the school cafeteria, had been cited for violating…
DeKalb County Rehab & Nursing Center Spotlight
I’m gathering the DCRNC posts into one place chronologically (just as I’ve done for the housing authority posts). The DCRNC series began November 2021 as a way to explain development of the county home’s financial crisis. It has since evolved into coverage of the debate and decisions that will determine its future. I’ve also created…