Masks on or off at IL schools? Depends.
By Sidney Madden | @sidney_madden_
😷 MASKS ON/OFF
Some Illinois students and staff will continue to wear masks in schools today — and others won’t.
A downstate judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday against Gov. JB Pritzker’s school mask mandate after hundreds of parents in more than 145 school districts — including in Chicago — filed a lawsuit.
But CPS said it will continue to enforce the mandate, and that “the court’s current ruling does not prohibit CPS from exercising its authority to continue its COVID-19 mitigation policies.” The Chicago Teachers Union said masking was part of the district’s reopening agreement.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office filed a motion to stop the ruling and is seeking an expedited appeal.
The Archdiocese of Chicago said it will continue to require masks pending the court’s final ruling.
That’s not the case for all schools: Timothy Christian Schools in Elmhurst said it would now be mask-optional, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The west suburban private school tried to defy the mandate in the fall.
And parents like Shannon Adcock, a plaintiff in the case and president of conservative group Awake Illinois, are thrilled with the outcome. Adcock helped plan the mask protest at the St. Charles Library last month.
Time will tell if the restraining order sticks: Pritzker has successfully fought similar challenges to other COVID mandates, ABC7 reported.
🗞️ HARVEY WORLD HERALD
Harvey has gone from a model town with thousands of manufacturing jobs to a community with a dwindling population and increased poverty. And the south suburb hasn’t had its own newspaper in decades — until now.
The Harvey World Herald is a one-person newsroom backed by the likes of Google and Reuters dedicated to bringing journalism back to the community.
Amethyst Davis, the Herald’s single employee, tells us about growing up in Harvey and the challenges of reviving news in the city.
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📰 NEWSFEED
▪️ Take a walk down Daley scandal lane as Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson’s federal tax trial starts. [WGN; City Cast Chicago]
▪️ Mayor Lori Lightfoot tore into a staffer for sending a memo about General Iron’s metal shredder move because the email could be obtained through a public records request. [Chicago Tribune]
▪️ An Englewood arts group is giving three $1,000 grants to artists. Apply by today. [Block Club Chicago]
▪️ Uh, does anyone like the city’s “Chicago Not In Chicago” tourism campaign? [Chicago Sun-Times]
▪️ West Side native Saba’s new album is 🔥 [Chicago Reader]
▪️ What’s on deck for Summertime Chi? The Blues Fest, the Jazz Fest, the Taste, SummerDance, and more. [City of Chicago]
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💗 CHI LOVE STORIES
We’ve been sharing City Cast readers’ Chi love stories this month, and reader Ryan Brevard’s tells us his started with his kid.
“Fell in love with this city almost 5 years ago when my daughter was born at Swedish Covenant :)”
I mean, c’mon, look at that face 🥺
