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Internal emails, texts show how Arlington Heights worked with school districts to strike Bears deal

Nikki Finke
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Internal emails, texts show how Arlington Heights worked with school districts to strike Bears deal

Months of internal emails and texts obtained by the Daily Herald show the extent to which Arlington Heights village officials tried to broker a property tax deal between three school districts and the Chicago Bears after the team shifted its stadium development focus away from Arlington Park.

The behind-the-scenes negotiations led to approval earlier this month of a memorandum of understanding by the elected boards of Arlington Heights and the school districts, ending a dispute over taxes and other issues at the Bears’ 326-acre property.

In March, the Bears appealed a Cook County Board of Review decision on the value of the former racetrack property — which would stick the NFL franchise with an $8.9 million annual tax bill — while publicly announcing a shift in plans to build a domed stadium on the south parking lot of Soldier Field.

Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus met with the superintendents of Northwest Suburban High School District 214, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15 at village hall on April 19, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Arlington Heights Village Manager Randy Recklaus

Follow-up text messages between Recklaus and District 214 Superintendent Scott Rowe indicate attorneys for the village and school districts planned to talk about revisions to the memorandum, which village officials first drafted in 2023, before it was shelved amid the Bears-versus-schools tax battle.

Negotiations ramped up in the weeks following revelation of the Bears’ $4.7 billion plan to redevelop the Chicago lakefront with a publicly owned domed stadium anchoring a recreation and cultural campus.

The day of the April 24 press conference where Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted the plans, Arlington Heights officials worked with their lobbyists to craft messaging to the public, press and politicians.

“We can tweak after the press conference, but may be good to share something like this with friendly voices out there,” Recklaus wrote in an email to other village administrators, attaching a talking points document to share with legislators and a plan comparison between the Bears’ lakefront and Arlington Park proposals.

The Bears in April unveiled plans for a new publicly owned Chicago lakefront stadium.
Courtesy of Chicago Bears

Though redacted, emails show revisions were made throughout the day by lobbyists Matt Murphy and Anne Schaeffer, Village Attorney Hart Passman, Assistant Village Manager Diana Mikula and Recklaus.

The village manager met again with the superintendents two days later.

He set up meetings with village trustees to review the latest draft of the memorandum the week of May 6, and asked the superintendents to do the same with their school board members.

“How’s it going with the boards?” Recklaus asked Rowe in a May 15 text.

“Going smoothly so far,” Rowe replied. “I have one more board member to meet with and then I’ll be home. I haven’t heard from the other two (school boards) but should get an update on our weekly call tomorrow. I think things are going fine though.”

 
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 Superintendent Scott Rowe
Paul Valade/[email protected], February 2024

By the end of the month, the parties sent a copy of the draft document to the Bears with an attached letter from Recklaus and the three superintendents.

Written communications indicate Passman — the village attorney — worked with lawyers for the Bears and schools on revisions to the proposed settlement.

By late July, there appeared to be a breakthrough in talks.

“On behalf of the school districts I wanted to send a message sharing that we are happy to be reengaging on the MOU and have had productive discussions with the village since we last spoke,” Rowe wrote in a July 30 email to the Bears’ Warren. “We are hopeful that we can get together in the near future and begin building our path forward together in Arlington Heights. Best of luck with the start of the season!”

Warren replied the next day.

“Scott: Thank you. Best, Kevin”

 
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren
Christopher Placek/[email protected], June 2024

The parties met at District 214’s Arlington Heights headquarters on Oct. 7 to put a bow on the agreement. Bears Chairman George McCaskey told Mayor Tom Hayes the football club’s leadership was meeting internally Nov. 20 to discuss the proposal, one text message shows.

Village and school district officials learned two days later Bears brass were on board.

“Did you get the good news,” Recklaus texted Rowe.

“I did! Fantastic!” Rowe replied.

The Bears are still appealing the 2023 tax bill to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, but the settlement would lower the annual bill to $3.6 million from 2024 at least through 2027. It could remain that amount if the Bears submit formal plans seeking village zoning approvals for a new stadium and then apply for building permits to begin construction, under terms of the deal.

 
The Bears will pay $3.6 million a year in property taxes at the sprawling Arlington Park property at least through 2027, under terms of a settlement inked this month.
Brian Hill/[email protected]

While Bears officials have said they are now aligned with the village and schools on a framework for potential future development planning, financing and property tax certainty at Arlington Park, they’ve reiterated their focus is trying to build a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

In an interview Thursday, Recklaus characterized the negotiations process spanning nearly two years as a “marathon not a sprint” during which multiple iterations of the agreement were considered.

“There were a lot of times where I thought we were basically done,” he said. “There’ve been enough instances where we almost had it done that I was not going to accept it until we got the final word, and we did.”

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Illinois is ending its 1% tax on groceries. Will your town replace it?

Nikki Finke
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Illinois is ending its 1% tax on groceries. Will your town replace it?

For the consumer, it amounts to 1% of the grocery bill.

But for suburban leaders, the repeal of the state grocery tax in January 2026 represents a loss of millions of dollars in revenues for their communities.

Because the tax is remitted to the communities where the sale occurred, those communities must now find a way to replace those funds, which pay for everything from roads to public safety.

In August, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill eliminating the sales tax on grocery items. The state suspended the tax for one in year in 2022, and Pritzker estimated its elimination would save shoppers $400 million annually statewide.

“Even with inflation cooling off every dollar counts, so I’m proud we’re doing what we can to make trips to the grocery store a little easier,” the governor said in a statement. “It’s one more important part of lifting the burden on Illinois families.”

But the state did open a window for municipalities to replace the state tax with a local 1% tax on groceries.

Thus far, many communities have been slow to respond.

Palatine is among the towns ahead of the curve. This month, village officials approved a 1% tax on groceries that begins in January 2026.

Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the loss of the tax from grocery stores including Mariano’s, Butera Market, Eurofresh Market, Aldi and Jewel-Osco, would cost Palatine between $1.25 and $1.5 million.

 
Shoppers at Butera in Palatine will still pay the 1% tax on groceries after a statewide tax sunsets in 2026 because the village enacted its own grocery tax recently.
Brian Hill/[email protected]

“We constantly are doing long-range financial planning,” Otteson said. “We need to know what the future holds, and I didn’t feel comfortable going into 2025 not knowing whether we had this million and a half hole in the budget or not.”

Other communities that have followed suit, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue, include Bannockburn in Lake County and Burlington in Kane County.

However, since the state tax isn’t scheduled to end until 2026, other suburbs like Buffalo Grove are taking their time before creating a local tax. But it may be only a matter of time.

“The one thing that sort of drives our decision making is the economic incentive agreement that we have with Woodman’s (Food Market), because it’s tied to the grocery tax,” Village Manager Dane Bragg said.

Buffalo Grove receives about $1.4 million annually from the grocery tax.

Many suburban mayors, along with Republican lawmakers, have been critical of the state’s move to eliminate the tax, saying it ultimately won’t ease the burden on taxpayers.

“This is not a tax cut,” state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, a Republican from Barrington Hills, said earlier this year. “It’s a political shell game.”

Barrington Village President Karen Darch said her village stands to lose $600,000.

“That is the road program for this year,” she said in March. “But for somebody spending $150 on groceries, it’s a savings for them of $1.50. That insignificant amount for one person shopping becomes a huge amount for all of our communities.”

Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig, who is also president of the Northwest Municipal Conference and is on the board of the Illinois Municipal League, said he expects many communities to pass their own grocery tax.

“Many are looking at that as a way to not lose revenue, which is really important to keep the burden off homeowners,” he said. “If we had to just let it go, we’d have to pick up the difference of that tax on to our homeowners.”

Experts argue consumers won’t see much of a difference either way.

“The grocery tax is small to the individual,” said Elizabeth T. Powers, an associate professor of economics at the University of Illinois at Champaign who has studied the affects of the grocery tax. “It’s 1%, so it has a very minimal impact on people’s budgets.”

Powers said most families spend less than $30,000 a year on groceries. She also notes shoppers receiving supplemental nutrition assistance are insulated from the tax.

“The idea that you’re really doing a lot to help people who are very poor through eliminating the grocery tax actually sounds good, but it doesn’t do much of anything,” she added.

Although the issue may be a big one for legislators and municipal leaders, some shoppers remain cynical about the state’s actions.

“The state never gives you a break,” Palatine resident Ron Tragasz said while shopping at Butera recently. “Come on.”

As for the potential loss of revenues to local communities, he said, “They’ll come up with another way to get the money out of your pocket.”

 
Ron Tragasz of Palatine shops at Butera in Palatine, which recently voted to implement a local grocery tax in 2026, when the state’s 1% tax on groceries is eliminated.
Brian Hill/[email protected]

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Germans mourn the 5 killed and 200 injured in the apparent attack on a Christmas market

Nikki Finke
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Germans mourn the 5 killed and 200 injured in the apparent attack on a Christmas market

People outside Magdeburg Cathedral follow a memorial service for victims of Friday’s Christmas Market attack, where a car drove into a crowd, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
AP

MAGDEBURG, Germany — Germans on Saturday mourned the victims of an apparent attack in which authorities say a doctor drove into a busy outdoor Christmas market, killing five people, injuring 200 others and shaking the public’s sense of security at what would otherwise be a time of joy.

The alleged attack Friday evening in Magdeburg, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Berlin, killed a 9-year-old and four adults and injured 41 people badly enough that authorities warned the death toll could rise.

Magdeburg marked the tragedy Saturday with the tolling church bells at 7:04 p.m., the exact time of the attack in the city of roughly 240,000 people.

The driver, a 50-year-old doctor who immigrated from Saudi Arabia in 2006, surrendered to police at the scene. He’s being investigated for five counts of suspected murder and 205 counts of suspected attempted murder, prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said at a news conference.

Among other things, investigators are looking into whether the attack could have been motivated by the suspect’s dissatisfaction with the way Germany treats Saudi refugees, Nopens said.

“There is no more peaceful and cheerful place than a Christmas market,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said. “What a terrible act it is to injure and kill so many people there with such brutality.”

More on the suspect police arrested

Although Nopens mentioned the treatment of Saudi immigrants angle, authorities said Saturday that they still didn’t know why the suspect drove his black BMW into the crowded market.

Police haven’t publicly named the suspect, but several German news outlets identified him as Taleb A., withholding his last name in line with privacy laws, and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Describing himself as a former Muslim, the suspect appears to have been an active user of the social media platform X, sharing dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes, criticizing the religion and congratulating Muslims who had left the faith.

He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he referred to as the “Islamification of Europe.”

Magdeburg is shaken

The violence shocked Germany and Magdeburg, which is the capital of the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, bringing its mayor to the verge of tears and marring the centuries-old German tradition of Christmas markets. It led several other communities to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss. Berlin kept its many markets open but increased its police presence at them.

Germany has suffered a string of extremist attacks in recent years, including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August.

Friday’s attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people and injuring many others. The attacker was killed days later in a shootout in Italy.

Chancellor Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser traveled to Magdeburg, where a memorial service took place Saturday. Faeser ordered flags lowered to half-staff at federal buildings across the country.

Although many people went to the site with candles to mourn the victims, several hundred far-right protesters gathered in a central square in Magdeburg with a banner that read “remigration,” German news agency dpa reported.

A witness recounts the horrifying attack

Verified bystander footage distributed by dpa showed the suspect’s arrest at a tram stop in the middle of the road. A nearby police officer pointing a handgun at the man shouted at him as he lay prone, his head arched up slightly. Other officers swarmed around the suspect and took him into custody.

Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a 34-year-old manicurist from Vietnam whose salon is in a mall across from the Christmas market, was on the phone during a break when she heard loud bangs that she thought were fireworks. She then saw a car drive through the market at high speed. People screamed and a child was thrown into the air by the car.

Shaking as she described what she had witnessed, she recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at the tram stop where the suspect was arrested.

The number of injured people was overwhelming.

“My husband and I helped them for two hours. He ran back home and grabbed as many blankets as he could find because they didn’t have enough to cover the injured people. And it was so cold,” she said.

The market itself was still cordoned off Saturday with red and white tape and police vans, as armed officers guarded at every entrance. Some thermal security blankets still lay on the street.

___

Moulson reported from Berlin and Gera from Warsaw, Poland.

“Remigration” is written on a banner at a demonstration by right-wing groups in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
AP

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, center, speaks at a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
AP

Citizens pay tribute for deaths outside St. John’s Church near a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.
AP

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Maine South gets back on track vs. Wheaton Warrenville South

Nikki Finke
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Maine South’s girls basketball team entered Saturday’s matinee with visiting Wheaton Warrenville South having dropped three of its last six games.

But after a 61-32 nonconference win over the Tigers (7-5), the Hawks (10-3) will take a two-game winning streak into the Komaromy Classic at Dundee-Crown High School next week.

“Oh my gosh, we’re coming back with so much confidence,” said Cornell University pledge and senior Ally Pape, who led the Hawks with 15 points, including three 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the third quarter. “I’m so happy for this team. We are bouncing back from some tough losses and we’re just showing we can stick with any team and beat any team.”

WW South stuck with the Hawks in the first quarter.

Senior forward Asia Kobylarczyk’s 3-pointer tied the game at 8-8 with 2:10 left in the first quarter to ignite a 9-2 run to close out the first eight minutes. The rally included back-to-back buckets from Pape followed by senior Katie Barker’s steal and assist to Kobylarczyk for a layup and 14-10 lead.

“It was a little bit of a slow start,” said Maine South coach Jeff Hamann. “But credit to them. Once we were able to open things up and get our defensive pressure going in the second quarter, we got going. And we were able to knock down some shots which helped. But it started with our defense.”

Ten Hawks hit their best stride in the second quarter, offensively and defensively. They outscored the Tigers 19-3, allowing only one basket, a reverse layup by junior Abby Keighron.

Barker and Anya Chojnowski each had 3-pointers in the period. Sophomore guard Hayden Fahy had a pair of putbacks, the second giving the Hawks their 33-13 lead at intermission.

The Hawks didn’t let up in the third quarter as Pape quickly connected for a 3-pointer from the baseline and they were on their way to outscoring WW South 23-13.

Fahy’s career-high third rebound and layup ended the quarter.

“She’s scrappy that way,” Hamann said. “All three (putbacks) were on the weakside boards and in basketball as you know 75% of the shots that are missed carom to the weak side and Hayden (6 points) was heads-up enough to be there. Credit to her on that.”

And Hamann credited Pape with staying positive with her shot.

“Ally has worked extremely hard on her game and her shot in particular,” he said. “She is much improved on that. She wasn’t hitting them in the first half and I even said to her in the second quarter to just keep shooting. Obviously she did there in that third quarter and hit the 3s. She is a very good shooter so credit to her.”

Barker also had three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Kobylarczyk had 14 points with two 3-pointers while juniors Addie Kopf and Chojnowski each had 5 points.

Keighron led WW South with 10 points followed by senior Brooke Ittersagen who had 7 in the first half. Juniors Lauren Morton and Lucy Jethani each had 4.

“Absolutely, they’re one of the best teams we’ve played,” said WW South coach Kasey Gassensmith , a former two-time all-state Tiger and Truman University guard. “They’re a great team. They’re athletic and long and they switch it up a lot so our girls had to be constantly on their toes.

“We were there in the first and third quarters and we fought hard. But the second and fourth quarters got away from us. Credit to Maine South. They’re a great team. I thought Abby (Keighron) definitely looked to score more today but I definitely would have liked to have attacked their press a little more. And I thought we could have gotten some better looks out of it than we did.”

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Holiday fantasies include Troy Aikman as new high czar of Halas Hall

Nikki Finke
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Holiday fantasies include Troy Aikman as new high czar of Halas Hall

Former Cowboys great Troy Aikman is interviewed before a 2019 game between the Cowboys and Bears. Jim O’Donnell says here’s a thought to fuel holiday fantasies from Lake Bluff to Batavia and beyond: What if fresh controlling ownership brought Aikman in as the fire-kindling new president & CEO at Halas Hall?
AP

WHAT’S IT GONNA BE SANTA, what’s it gonna be?

There’s naughty and nice. Somewhere, there are winter wonderlands. And then there is the reality of being a committed fan in The Captive Sports City.

Chicago, Illinois — gateway city to sports futility. A town where championship teams get broken up, inept executives remain employed and four primary franchise titans operate with all the impunity of Vlad Putin on a local school board in suburban Moscow.

Against that cheery backdrop, some Yuletide Ins and Outs to warm a pointless Bears Sunday:

In – Troy Aikman – If there was any doubt that he’s the premier NFL TV analyst in the land, ol’ No. 8 put that to rest with his brilliant insights into the reeling Bears during their loss at Minnesota Monday night. … Here’s a thought to fuel holiday fantasies from Lake Bluff to Batavia and beyond: What if fresh controlling ownership brought Aikman in as the fire-kindling new president & CEO at Halas Hall? … (With a piece of the team, of course).

Out – Tony Romo – A muffled and unmitigated embarrassment every time he calls a game for CBS. … What a drag it is hearing he has any prime assignments. … Makes Jim Nantz essentially work both roles in the booth and has gotten so babbling and meandering that there are very human concerns about the state of his acuity … In other words, he’d be perfect for sports talk radio in Chicago.

In – Ashton Jeanty – King Potato Head among the stout blue spuds of Boise State. … Next up in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday afternoon, December 31. … But the deeper projection is that he will one day be mentioned in the same hallowed run-on sentences with Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. … Jeanty is generationally good and more fun to watch than yahoo fly fishing in Pocatello.

Out – Travis Hunter – Great athlete whose two-way status for Coach Prime’s Colorado wakes up echoes extending back to Chuck Bednarik and George Gipp. … But with Jeanty also on the ballot, his Heisman Trophy win was a travesty. … The idea that Hunter will be a “60-minute man” in the contemporary NFL is also as dismissible as “Emily In Paris, The Musical.”

In – NCAA women’s volleyball – An absolutely sensational national tournament concludes with Penn State-Louisvillle Sunday (2 p.m., ABC). … The sport has evolved into a remarkable showcase for athleticism and intensity. … PSU’s net-tingling five-set reverse sweep over formidable Nebraska Thursday night was greatly assisted by Chicago’s very own Gillian Grimes (Nazareth Academy) and Camryn Hannah (Marist).

Out – Big Ten men’s basketball – So now it will be 18 teams eating their own for the next three months until all fall down before the NCAA championship game. … The power tilt is also already swinging west with Dana Altman and Phil Knight’s Oregon plus Mick Cronin and UCLA up on top. … Does anyone remember Tom Izzo and Mateen Cleaves cutting down the nets way back in 2000 – the last time a B-10 team won The Big One?

In – Holiday prep tournaments – The week split by Christmas Day merely stirs even more snowy memories of the excitement generated by Bob Frisk and Keith Reinhard and even Michael Jordan sneaking into the Wheeling High gymnasium to watch son Jeffrey Jordan play for Loyola in The Hardwood Classic. … Dick Quagliano’s superb preview in The Daily Herald did nothing to stymie the cage Currier and Ives within.

Out – The Illinois High School Association – Coming across more and more as little beyond a bunch of baffled bureaucrats who really know how to gum up state tournaments (but maintain their salaries). … As is, the IHSA’s day has passed. … Why not just expand the state football tournament to 32 divisions and include all teams that have dressed for one regular-season game? … That’d assure enough participations ribbons to placate all.

In – Cole Kmet – Is there any current rostered Bear who continues to represent all that Chicago Bears football once was? … He deserves so much better. … Also continues to draw highest marks from attending media as an ultimate reliable for quotes even in the worst of moments. … Somewhere along the line, Kmet caught some critical touchpoints about competitiveness and accountability from the spirit of Mike Ditka.

Out – Sammy Sosa – His “reconciliation” with the Cubs is like hearing that the city of Chicago has decided to bring Skid Row back to West Madison Street. … A fraud to his Caribbean gills, Sosa’s 1998 home run “battle” with Mark McGwire was as genuine as the career of Newt Gingrich. … If Dick Allen — in his prime — had access to the same kind of “slugger’s helpers,” Sir Richie would have peaked with a seasonal output of 110 home runs.

• Jim O’Donnell’s Sports and Media column appears each week on Sunday and Wednesday. Reach him at [email protected]. All communications may be considered for publication.

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Buffalo Grove police investigating armed robbery

Nikki Finke
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Buffalo Grove police investigating armed robbery

Buffalo Grove police are investigating an armed robbery that took place early Saturday morning at a hotel.

According to a news release from the village of Buffalo Grove, officers responded at 3:17 a.m. to the Extended Stay America at 1525 Busch Parkway for a report of an armed robbery.

Witnesses said a man approached the front desk, jumped over the counter and demanded money while displaying a handgun. The offender fled eastbound across Milwaukee Avenue on foot with an undisclosed amount of money, according to police. No injuries were reported.

Police said the subject is described as a white or Hispanic male with an Eastern European accent, wearing a red jacket, gray pants, and light-colored shoes.

The suspect has not been located, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call (847) 459-2560.

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Fremd makes it a happy homecoming for coach Brown

Nikki Finke
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Fremd makes it a happy homecoming for coach Brown

Growing up and playing basketball at Schaumburg High School, Fremd coach Mike Brown knows first hand how difficult it is to win in Schaumburg’s gym.

“This place is always special to me,” said Brown, who was a three-year starter for the Saxons in the mid 90’s.

“I spent so much time in that gym and have so many great memories. But tonight was about trying to get a win against a real tough team.”

And just like their head coach, Fremd scrapped and battled, building a 20-point lead. The Vikings then had to hold off a surging Schaumburg team in the final 10 minutes to post a 72-60 win.

Fremd (9-1, 3-0) remained atop the MSL West with the victory. But the Vikings had to overcome 19 turnovers, 7 of which came in the opening quarter.

“We are pleased by how we played,” Brown said. “We were just trying to get a win here tonight. We knew we were going to get a big-time fight from them. Which they really gave.”

Schaumburg (6-3, 0-3), which needed a win in order not to fall out of the MSL West race, played like that in the first quarter. With Zion Young and Jordan Tunis leading the way, the Saxons were able to battle Fremd to a 14-14 tie after one quarter.

Rafael Pinto then came out red hot to begin the second quarter to give Fremd a much-needed lift. The 6-foot-5 junior scored 10 points in the opening 2:14 as the Vikings pulled ahead 24-20.

“I had my teammates looking for me,” said Pinto, who would finish with 18 points. “Once I get hot it is good for everyone because they can get assists. I was in foul trouble early, so I was a little frustrated. But once I got back on the court I got fired up.”

With Schaumburg forced to pay more attention defensively to Pinto, that opened up the rest of the court for the Vikings.

No one took more advantage of that than Jordan Williams. The junior hit a three-pointer and scored a pair of baskets down the final stretch of the first half as the Vikings built a 36-27 advantage.

Schaumburg cut the lead to 39-32 early in the third quarter on a three-pointer by Ray Black.

The Vikings went on a 15-2 run to break the game open. Williams took a rebound on the defensive end and went coast-to-coast and finished with a driving layup to make it 54-34 with 2:41 left in the third quarter.

“Our coaches had us really prepared,” said Williams, who finished with 23 points and 5 rebounds. “They just do a great job getting us ready. The practice is very hard so the game is easy.”

Schaumburg picked up the tempo in an attempt to get back in the game.

The Saxons forced 7 turnovers from there. Led by Tunis, who would finish with 22 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter, Schaumburg closed to 67-60 with 1:10 to play.

Fremd then used free throw throws by Samuel Hirsch (13 points), Ryan Brown (8 points) and Pinto to put the game away.

“We knew that coach Brown played high school ball here, so we wanted to get the ‘W’ for him,” Williams said. “We aren’t satisfied by how we finished. But obviously, it could have been worse.”

Tommy Moffett added 8 points for Fremd while Young finished with 16 points and 8 rebounds and Cam Anderson came off the bench to score 8 points.

“The third quarter killed us,” Schaumburg coach Jason Tucker said. “We should have been pressuring them from the beginning. We have got a lot better in the last week. Credit to our guys, they never stopped fighting tonight.”

 
Fremd’s Ryan Brown, left, drives to the basket against Schaumburg’s Cam Anderson during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Schaumburg’s Javonte McCoy, left, draws contact from Fremd’s Jordan Williams during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Schaumburg’s Tony Horton, right, drives the lane against Fremd defender Tommy Moffett during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Fremd’s Samuel Hirsch, middle, draws contact as he goes to the basket against Schaumburg’s Ray Black, left, and Tony Horton during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Fremd boys basketball coach Mike Brown leads the Vikings during Friday’s game at Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Schaumburg’s Tony Horton, right, goes to the hoop aganst Fremd’s Chase Nelson during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Fremd’s Rafael Pinto, left, goes in for a layup against Schaumburg defender Ray Black during Friday’s game in Schaumburg.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Schaumburg’s Zion Young has the ball on a fast break during Friday’s game against Fremd.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]
 
Schaumburg boys basketball coach Jason Tucker reacts to and official’s call during Friday’s game against Fremd.
Joe Lewnard/[email protected]

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Worried about lead pipes? Here’s what to do.

Nikki Finke
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Although lead pipes were banned decades ago, millions of homes still contain them. In fact, lead from water service lines remains one of the leading causes of childhood lead poisoning.

Lead is a hazardous neurotoxin and even low-level exposure can cause permanent cognitive damage, especially in children. Thousands of children each year suffer from disorders caused by lead exposure, which also comes from dust and soil.

There is no safe level of exposure to lead, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lead exposure causes developmental delays, difficulty learning and behavioral problems. Lead exposure also poses a significant risk for adults.

In most cases, drinking water isn’t contaminated before it travels through water service lines. Lead seeps into drinking water through corroding, flaking pipes that carry water into the home.

“We know that lead pipes leach into drinking water. You’re basically drinking through a lead straw when you have a lead service line,” said Valerie Baron, a senior attorney at the advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council.

Dealing with lead pipes can be confusing and potentially expensive. Here’s what you need to know.

How to check if you have lead pipes

There are several ways people can figure out if their water comes through lead service lines. The Environmental Protection Agency has a comprehensive interactive guide and many cities have created interactive maps with water service line information. The EPA has asked water utilities to provide a complete inventory of all service lines, yet not all utilities have completed their inventory, with many reporting that water lines are made from unknown materials.

Here are some steps you can take if you suspect you have lead pipes.

Check with your utility. Your first step is to ask your utility whether the pipes servicing your home are made of lead. If you’re a homeowner, you can find the utility’s contact information on your water bill. If you’re a renter, ask your landlord or property manager for the information.

Lead pipes are more common in older cities, especially across the Northeast and Midwest, such as New York, Chicago and Cleveland. If the water utility says that the pipes are unknown, there are still ways to figure out which pipes you have.

Consider the year your home was built. Congress banned the installation of lead pipes in 1986, and some communities phased them out even earlier. If your home was built after the federal ban, you can be pretty confident that there aren’t any lead service lines. Older homes that were renovated after 1986 might still have lead piping, depending on whether the plumbing was updated.

Check the service line that brings water into your house. Most of the service line is underground, except for a small accessible segment that runs to the meter or the main shutoff valve. Meters can be found in basements, crawl spaces and garages. Some meters are outside on the sidewalk or in the yard under a metal cap.

Examine the pipe that runs into the meter from the wall or the floor. Plastic pipes are generally easy to identify, and they can be a variety of colors such as white, black, blue or green.

Gently scratch metal pipes with a coin or key. If you have a magnet, you can also see if it sticks. A soft pipe, particularly if the scratched area appears silver and shiny, indicates lead. Another sign of lead is a curved pipe with a bulb near the shutoff valve, like a snake that has swallowed an egg.

Copper has a distinctive color, though it can also be reddish brown, orange or green. If the pipe is hard to scratch and a magnet sticks, it could be galvanized steel. Some galvanized steel pipes were lined with lead, so more testing may be necessary.

Even if the pipe coming into your home is safe, there could still be lead pipes in other parts of the house or in other plumbing fixtures. So if you have an older home, testing your water is a good idea.

Testing for lead

Since you can’t see, taste or smell lead in drinking water, there’s no substitute for a test.

Ask your utility to test your water. The utility will either conduct the test themselves or send you a water-testing kit. You can also collect water samples yourself and send them to a state-certified laboratory. The EPA’s website provides information on finding a state-certified laboratory in your area.

Still water is best. The best time to test your water is first thing in the morning, after the water has been sitting in the pipes for a long time, and to take samples from a kitchen or bathroom sink. Keep in mind that lead levels can fluctuate from test to test because of physical disturbances like traffic and construction, so it’s recommended to take a number of samples.

Replacing your lead pipes

If you’ve determined or suspect that you have lead pipes, you’ll want to move quickly to get them replaced and protect your family from further exposure.

Reach out to your water utility, licensed plumbers or your city government to figure out what lead pipe replacement programs are available in your area.

Find out about rebates and subsidies. In many communities, utilities will provide lead pipe replacements free or at a reduced rate. Plumbing upgrades can cost thousands of dollars, but the Biden administration allocated more than $17 billion for lead pipe replacements, so be sure to find out if you qualify for assistance.

Reducing your exposure to lead

While you wait for your lead pipes to be replaced, it’s important to reduce the threat from lead exposure, especially in homes with small children.

Flush your pipes. Before using water to drink or cook, you should flush out any lead that could have settled in the pipes by running water from the shower or another high volume tap. Some health departments suggest letting the water run for three to five minutes before use.

Install a filter that’s certified to remove lead. Use only cold water with a filter because warm water can reduce its effectiveness.

Avoid boiling your water. Hot water dissolves lead more quickly, so in general use only cold water for drinking and cooking. Boiling water will not remove lead and could even increase lead concentrations.

Clean your faucet’s aerator. The aerator is the little mesh screen at the end of a faucet. Remove the aerator, which can collect sediment and lead, and rinse out any debris.

What to do after you replace lead pipes

Keep on flushing. It’s a good idea to continue flushing your pipes after the lead replacement to remove any remaining lead.

Elin Betanzo, the president and founder of Safe Water Engineering, a public interest water consulting firm, recommended removing any aerators and flushing your household plumbing.

Start with the tap closest to the service line.

Then move throughout your house, opening all the taps, allowing the water to run and wash out any particulates that could have collected throughout the home.

Finally, turn off all the taps in the same order, beginning with the closet tap and ending with the farthest.

Flush, filter and repeat. Filter water for six months after your lead pipe replacement and continue to routinely clean your aerator.

“Water picks up everything that it touches so when water is traveling through a lead pipe, lead will get into the water,” Betanzo said. “Getting rid of the lead is the only way to prevent it from getting into the water.”

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Biden signs bill that averts government shutdown and brings a close to days of Washington upheaval

Nikki Finke
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Biden signs bill that averts government shutdown and brings a close to days of Washington upheaval

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, celebrates Friday as the Senate begins voting on the government funding bill just in time to meet the midnight deadline.
AP

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed legislation that averts a government shutdown heading into Christmas, bringing a final close to days of upheaval in Washington after Congress passed a bipartisan budget plan just past the deadline and rejected Donald Trump’s core demand in the negotiations.

The deal funds the government at current levels through March 14 and provides $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural assistance to farmers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had insisted lawmakers would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to close. But the outcome at the end of a tumultuous week was uncertain after Trump had insisted the deal include an increase in the government’s borrowing limit. If not, he had said, then let the closures “start now.”

Johnson’s revised plan was approved 366-34, and it was passed by the Senate by a 85-11 vote after midnight. By then, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations.

“There will be no government shutdown,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Johnson, who had spoken to Trump after the House vote, said the compromise was “a good outcome for the country” and that the president-elect “was certainly happy about this outcome, as well.”

The final product was the third attempt from Johnson, the beleaguered speaker, to achieve one of the basic requirements of the federal government — keeping it open. The difficulties raised questions about whether Johnson will be able to keep his job, in the face of angry Republican colleagues, and work alongside Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, who was calling the legislative plays from afar.

The House is scheduled to elect the next speaker on Jan. 3, 2025, when the new Congress convenes. Republicans will have an exceedingly narrow majority, 220-215, leaving Johnson little margin for error as he tries to win the speaker’s gavel.

One House Republican, Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland, criticized Republicans for the deficit spending in the bill and said he was now “undecided” about the GOP leadership. Others are signaling unhappiness with Johnson as well.

Yet Trump’s last-minute debt limit demand was almost an impossible ask, and Johnson had almost no choice but to work around that pressure. The speaker knew there wouldn’t be enough support within the slim Republican majority alone to pass any funding package because many Republican deficit hawks prefer to cut the federal government and would not allow more debt.

Instead, the Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate in the new year, with big plans for tax cuts and other priorities, are showing they must routinely rely on Democrats for the votes needed to keep up with the routine operations of governing.

The federal debt stands at roughly $36 trillion, and the spike in inflation after the coronavirus pandemic has pushed up the government’s borrowing costs such that debt service next year will exceed spending on national security. The last time lawmakers raised the debt limit was June 2023. Rather than raise the limit by a dollar amount, lawmakers suspended the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025.

There is no need to raise that limit right now because the Treasury Department can begin using what it calls “extraordinary measures” to ensure that America does not default on its debts. Some estimate these accounting maneuvers could push the default deadline to the summer of 2025. But that’s what Trump wanted to avoid because an increase would be needed while he was president.

GOP leaders said the debt ceiling would be debated as part of tax and border packages in the new year. Republicans made a so-called handshake agreement to raise the debt limit at that time while also cutting $2.5 trillion in spending over 10 years.

It was essentially the same deal that flopped Thursday night — minus Trump’s debt demand. But it’s far smaller than the original deal Johnson struck with Democratic and Republican leaders — a 1,500-page bill that Trump and Musk rejected, forcing him to start over. It was stuffed with a long list of other bills — including much-derided pay raises for lawmakers — but also other measures with broad bipartisan support that now have a tougher path to becoming law.

Trump, who has not yet been sworn into office, is showing the power but also the limits of his sway with Congress, as he intervenes and orchestrates affairs from Mar-a-Lago alongside Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Mary Clare Jalonick, Darlene Superville and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

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Government funding bill clears Congress and heads to President Biden, averting a shutdown

Nikki Finke
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Government funding bill clears Congress and heads to President Biden, averting a shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrates as the Senate begins voting on the government funding bill just in time to meet the midnight deadline, at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day’s outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures “start now.”

The House approved Johnson’s new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to pass it, 85-11, just after the deadline. At midnight, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations.

“This is a good outcome for the country, ” Johnson said after the House vote, adding he had spoken with Trump and the president-elect “was certainly happy about this outcome, as well.”

President Joe Biden, who has played a less public role in the process throughout a turbulent week, was expected to sign the measure into law Saturday.

“There will be no government shutdown,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

The final product was the third attempt from Johnson, the beleaguered House speaker, to achieve one of the basic requirements of the federal government — keeping it open. And it raised stark questions about whether Johnson will be able to keep his job, in the face of angry GOP colleagues, and work alongside Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk, who called the legislative plays from afar.

Trump’s last-minute demand was almost an impossible ask, and Johnson had almost no choice but to work around his pressure for a debt ceiling increase. The speaker knew there wouldn’t be enough support within the GOP majority to pass any funding package, since many Republican deficit hawks prefer to slash federal government and certainly wouldn’t allow more debt.

Instead, the Republicans, who will have full control of the White House, House and Senate next year, with big plans for tax cuts and other priorities, are showing they must routinely rely on Democrats for the votes needed to keep up with the routine operations of governing.

“So is this a Republican bill or a Democrat bill?” scoffed Musk on social media ahead of the vote.

The drastically slimmed-down 118-page package would fund the government at current levels through March 14 and add $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural assistance to farmers.

Gone is Trump’s demand to lift the debt ceiling, which GOP leaders told lawmakers would be debated as part of their tax and border packages in the new year. Republicans made a so-called handshake agreement to raise the debt limit at that time while also cutting $2.5 trillion in spending over 10 years.

It’s essentially the same deal that flopped the night before in a spectacular setback — opposed by most Democrats and some of the most conservative Republicans — minus Trump’s debt ceiling demand.

But it’s far smaller than the original bipartisan accord Johnson struck with Democratic and Republican leaders — a 1,500-page bill that Trump and Musk rejected, forcing him to start over. It was stuffed with a long list of other bills — including much-derided pay raises for lawmakers — but also other measures with broad bipartisan support that now have a tougher path to becoming law.

House Democrats were cool to the latest effort after Johnson reneged on the hard-fought bipartisan compromise.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, said it looked like Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, was calling the shots for Trump and Republicans.

“Who is in charge?” she asked during the debate.

Still, the House Democrats put up more votes than Republicans for the bill’s passage. Almost three dozen conservative House Republicans voted against it.

“The House Democrats have successfully stopped extreme MAGA Republicans from shutting down the government, crashing the economy and hurting working-class Americans all across the nation,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

In the Senate, almost all the opposition came from the Republicans — except independent Sen. Bernie Sanders, who said Musk’s interference was “not democracy, that’s oligarchy.”

Trump, who has not yet been sworn into office, is showing the power but also the limits of his sway with Congress, as he intervenes and orchestrates affairs from Mar-a-Lago alongside Musk, who is heading up the new Department of Government Efficiency.

The incoming Trump administration vows to slash the federal budget and fire thousands of employees and is counting on Republicans for a big tax package. And Trump’s not fearful of shutdowns the way lawmakers are, having sparked the longest government shutdown in history in his first term at the White House.

“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now,” Trump posted early in the morning on social media.

More important for the president-elect was his demand for pushing the thorny debt ceiling debate off the table before he returns to the White House. The federal debt limit expires Jan. 1, and Trump doesn’t want the first months of his new administration saddled with tough negotiations in Congress to lift the nation’s borrowing capacity. Now Johnson will be on the hook to deliver.

“Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling,” Trump posted — increasing his demand for a new five-year debt limit increase. “Without this, we should never make a deal.”

Government workers had already been told to prepare for a federal shutdown that would send millions of employees — and members of the military — into the holiday season without paychecks.

Biden has been in discussions with Jeffries and Schumer, but White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “Republicans blew up this deal. They did, and they need to fix this.”

As the day dragged on, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell stepped in to remind colleagues “how harmful it is to shut the government down, and how foolish it is to bet your own side won’t take the blame for it.”

At one point, Johnson asked House Republicans at a lunchtime meeting for a show of hands as they tried to choose the path forward.

It wasn’t just the shutdown, but the speaker’s job on the line. The speaker’s election is the first vote of the new Congress, which convenes Jan. 3, and some Trump allies have floated Musk for speaker.

Johnson said he spoke to Musk ahead of the vote Friday and they talked about the “extraordinary challenges of this job.”

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Stephen Groves, Mary Clare Jalonick, Darlene Superville and Bill Barrow contributed to this report.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters after passing the funding bill to avert the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to reporters after passing the funding bill to avert the government shutdown at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Capitol is pictured in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., talks with reporters after attending a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as the House works on a spending bill to avert a shutdown of the Federal Government, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
(AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., talks with reporters after attending a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., as the House works on a spending bill to avert a shutdown of the Federal Government, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)
(AP Photo/John McDonnell)

Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., arrives for a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, left, and Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, arrive for a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., arrives for a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., arrives for a meeting with Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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