Allendale, Ill. (ECWd) - On July 11, 2025, we received a tip that the Allendale Rural Fire Protection District was delivering water for a homeowner to fill her pool, and the home was not within the Allendale Fire Protection District. This is not a permitted use of...
Dolton, Ill. (ECWd) - On July 17, 2025, the Cook County Court Ordered the Village of Dolton, Illinois, to pay our attorney fees in the amount of $10,068.70, to pay our filing fees of $460.47, and to pay civil penalties in the amount of $5000.00 for...
Champaign, Ill. (ECWd) - The Open Meetings Act ("OMA") governs meetings of public bodies in Illinois, and the University of Illinois must comply with the Act. Section 2.06(g) grants the "Right to Speak" at public meetings, subject only to "reasonable" rules adopted and recorded by the public...
Orland Fire Protection District (ECWd) - We previously reported on the $432,000 spent on media relations in the past few years. Since January 2025 (including July), the Orland Fire Protection District paid $28,000.00 to Ray Hanania's "Urban Strategies," continuing their spending of your tax money on media...
Champaign Co., Ill. (ECWd) - There has been considerable discussion on the amount of noise produced by solar farms, and a proposed solar farm project in Vermilion County. According to one person who attended a meeting where solar farm noise was discussed: "Solar farms produce noise. The solar...
South Holland, Ill. (ECWd) - There have been many conversations and publications lately concerning compensation being paid to current Thornton Township elected officials. Here is our opinion on this subject, which is focused solely on how it got to this point, not on the dollar amounts...
Edgar Co., Ill. (ECWd) - There is a Carbon Capture and Storage ("CCS") project proposed to be located just off the (Edgar County) Illinois-Indiana state line. Landowners on the Illinois side of the border need to know that their land use rights could be impacted by...
Peru, Ill. (ECWd) - On June 24, 2025, the Illinois Attorney General's Public Access Counselor issued Binding Opinion 25-007 stating the City of Peru's Pool Committee is a subsidiary body of the city council and is subject to the Open Meetings Act (which also makes it...
Orland Fire Protection District (ECWd) - This is what happens when public entities permit unlimited accumulation of sick time and also permit the converting of comp time to sick time. Upon his retirement, former Orland Fire Chief Michael Schofield received a lump-sum payout of more than $390,000.00...
Kankakee, Ill. (ECWd) - Kankakee County Board Member Chris Tholen has apparently resigned from office after a lawsuit seeking his removal was filed. The lawsuit filed by the State's Attorney alleged Tholen failed to file his mandated Statement of Economic Interest, even after timely notices were given. The...
