The District 117 School Board is expected to face a controversial issue head on tonight. In a letter obtained via FOIA request this afternoon, a letter signed by 29 staff members, 1 school board member, and signed by over 60 concerned citizens of the district says that the state mandating weekly testing of unvaccinated or those not wishing to disclose their vaccination status to the district is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The letter says that the current testing requirement discriminates and segregates staff who have made a personal health decision based upon religious beliefs. The letter says that the current nasal swab testing poses a health risk, creates a hostile work environment, and increases the workload of fellow staff members and the nursing staff who are currently overworked to begin with.

The letter asks for the group to have their voices heard for a possible solution in the matter.

Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a mandate on August 26^th requiring vaccination for all pre-k-12 teachers and staff. According to the governor’s executive order, for those unwilling or unable to be vaccinated will be required to get tested for COVID-19 at least once per week, also allowing for the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health to increase testing in certain situations.

Jacksonville School District 117 meets in regular session beginning at 6PM tonight.

The Schuyler County Health Department has announced a second outbreak in as many days in the county.

The health department is reporting an outbreak of 4 confirmed cases related to the Community Center Daycare Program in Rushville. IDPH defines an outbreak of 2 or more lab confirmed positive cases in a congregate setting. The Rushville Fitness and Community Center Daycare Program is working with the Schuyler County Health Department and following direction and guidance from IDPH and SCHD to monitor and slow down the spread.

Yesterday, the Schuyler County Health Department also confirmed 4 positive cases at Webster Elementary School in Rushville. No other new cases were reported in the county yesterday.

Morgan County Health Department officials reported 15 new cases yesterday. There are currently 141 active cases in Morgan County, with 12 currently hospitalized.

In an update on their Facebook page yesterday, Greene County Health Department officials announced 43 new cases since their previous report on Thursday, September 9^th. The new cases brings the number of active cases in Greene to 69. They also confirmed an additional death linked to COViD-19. Greene County has had 55 deaths overall attributed to the virus.

Passavant Area Hospital is set to open its new drive through lab tomorrow. According to a press release, the lab located at 563 North Westgate Avenue will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays for routine lab services, including blood draws, urine collection and tests for flu, strep, and RSV.

The lab will also operate its two drive-thru lanes on Mondays through Fridays from 8AM to 1:15PM and Sundays from 8 to 11:15AM for COVID-19 testing ahead of patient procedures. Scheduling and registration for COVID-19 testing before procedures are required.

Registration is recommended for faster routine lab service and can be made by calling 217-479-5547. A physician’s order is required for all lab services. Patients should bring their insurance cards.

The drive-thru lab will be located at the northwest corner of the nonprofit hospital’s campus. When entering the campus at the entrance at Westgate Avenue near West Walnut Street, drive north and follow signs to the lab.

For more information, call 217-245-9541, ext. 3191.

Passavant Area Hospital currently operates a drive-thru lab in the physician’s parking garage on its campus. When the new drive-thru lab opens, the current lab will cease operation.

Jacksonville Classic Car lovers will have to wait another year for an annual event.

In an announcement yesterday, the Jacksonville Cruise Nite Association is not hosting the annual September Cruise Night in Jacksonville this year. The event was scheduled for this Saturday, September 18^th, but has been canceled.

There is no further information about the event or from the Association at this time.

An alternative electric retail supplier has reached an agreement with the Illinois Commerce Commission over improper solicitation, marketing, and enrollment procedures.

The ICC approved a total of $300,000 in refunds to customers and the Illinois LIHEAP program from Star Energy LLC. Star Energy has also entered into a Commission Compliance Plan as part of the settlement, which includes an agreement to conduct no sales, marketing or enrollments in Illinois for two years and restrictions to ensure compliance with state rules in the future.

As part of the agreement, Star will issue $275,000 in refunds to current and former customers who were enrolled with Star between May 1, 2018 and October 25, 2018 and who received electric supply service from the company for at least 30 days during the period. Star Energy also did solicitation efforts in Jacksonville in 2019, so customers here will not be a part of this settlement.

After the two year prohibition, Star Energy will have a 3 year probation period in which it can stagger in solicitation efforts in the state once again. Star Energy consented to the agreement but did not admit any criminal or civil liability in the case. If the company fails to comply with the agreement’s stipulations, a case may be reopened against them by the ICC and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office at a later date.

The Schuyler County Health Department has announced an outbreak at a Rushville school.

SCHD is reporting a 4-case outbreak at Webster Elementary School in Rushville. Public health officials are working to identify and actively monitor individuals who were in contact with the positive cases in an effort to reduce the risk of additional transmission. Due to Federal privacy restrictions, the release of any additional information on these cases is prohibited.

The Webster Elementary School is working with the Schuyler County Health Department and following direction and guidance from IDPH and SCHD, including but not limited to: testing students, teachers and staff for COVID-19, increased environmental disinfection, exclusion of ill staff and students, increased hand washing, wearing mask and face coverings indoors and maintaining three feet distance between students in correlation with school guidance.

IDPH also lists potential exposure events at Eisenhower Elementary in Jacksonville, Jacksonville High School, Schuyler-Industry Middle School in Rushville, Pikeland Community School in Pittsfield, Petersburg Elementary School, PORTA High School, Pleasant Plains Middle School, Winchester Elementary School, and New Berlin Elementary School. All of these schools list less than 5 cases on the IDPH website. IDPH currently lists over 1,400 potential exposures in Illinois schools.

A new bill in the Illinois General Assembly is seeking to solidify the Illinois State Board of Education to enforce public health guidelines in all Illinois schools.

Currently, ISBE is enforcing Governor J.B. Pritzker’s mask mandate in schools by stripping schools of their recognition status if they fail to comply. Over 50 schools have either been put on probation or stripped of their status by ISBE since the beginning of the school year.

Under the new bill filed by 21^st District Representative Edgar Gonzalez, Jr. of Summit, it would codify ISBE’s ability to strip recognition status, investigate non-compliance, and allow the State Superintendent to place any school in remote learning for non-compliance.

Critics say the introduction of this bill means ISBE hasn’t had the authority to take these actions, but lawmakers say that isn’t the case. 48^th District State Senator Doris Turner, who is a long-time public health official, agrees with the measure saying it provides direction and authority to ISBE in a public health crisis; while 99^th District Representative Mike Murphy of Springfield feels the bill is an overreach. Murphy told WICS Newschannel 20 that local school boards should be able to decide what’s best for students.

The bill would also provide authority over private and parochial schools. The bill is currently in the Illinois House Rules Committee.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has announced the first of its kind Retail Crime Task Force. The public-private partnership with law enforcement members from across the state with retailers like CVS, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Target, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart are aiming to cut down on organized retail crime.

According to the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail, organized retail theft accounts for $45 billion in annual losses causing consumer prices to go up. All of the major retailers say they have seen increases in organized retail crime between 70-90% over the last 5 years. Raoul says organized retail theft often lead to other, more serious crimes: “Organized retail theft accounts for $45 billion in annual losses. Even during the looting that we saw last year on the edges of legitimate protests, we came to understand that some of this criminal activity was not merely opportunistic but organized in advance. Often, theft from retail establishments may be connected to human trafficking, money laundering, narcotics, counterfeit products, violent crime, and more.”

Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has spearheaded a call for federal action to address organized retail crime by introducing bipartisan Senate legislation, the INFORM Consumers Act, to promote transparency and verification on online marketplaces in order to deter illicit sellers from using the marketplaces to re-sell stolen goods.

The task force will allow Raoul’s office to utilize data and tips provided by retailers and partner across jurisdictions with law enforcement agencies to investigate organized retail crimes and trace thefts to the source. Raoul’s goal in establishing the task force is to improve communication among public and private entities and utilize a multifaceted approach to combating organized retail theft and related criminal activity. For the first time, organized retail crime investigations will not be limited by county lines, ultimately leading to the arrest and prosecution of the organizations responsible.