Illinois news in brief: Ex-Big Ten Network staffer gets 2 years in embezzlement case

Illinois news in brief: Ex-Big Ten Network staffer gets 2 years in embezzlement case

Spread the love

Ex-Big Ten Network staffer gets 2 years in embezzlement case

A former Big Ten Network employee has been sentenced to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution after he pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges. Prosecutors said Weston Goldstein, 48, used company credit cards and the Big Ten Network’s procurement process to buy electronic devices and sell them online over a period of eight years.

EPA announces $5 million to address non-point source pollution

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director James Jennings has announced $5 million for projects addressing non-point source pollution. The agency said NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground, picking up pollutants and depositing them into sources of drinking water.

State recovers unpaid wages, prevailing wage penalties

The Illinois Department of Labor has recovered more than $67,000 in unpaid wages for eight employees after an investigation found prevailing wage violations by Absolute Home Improvements & Cleaning Service on a public works project in Lake County. The investigation found the employer failed to pay required fringe benefit rates to employees and did not comply with payroll reporting requirements under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act. The company also paid more than $6,700 in penalties.

Grocery stores that got taxpayer money may close

All seven Save A Lot stores across Chicago could shut down this Saturday after the company decided to end its partnership with grocery operator Yellow Banana. NBC Chicago reports that city officials attributed the end of the partnership to the recent death of Yellow Banana CEO Joe Canfield and cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The city gave $13.5 million in taxpayer funds to refurbish the grocery stores in 2022. A Save A Lot spokesperson said Yellow Banana is exploring options to keep the stores open.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Chicago posts fewest homicides since 2016, arrests rate also declines

Chicago posts fewest homicides since 2016, arrests rate also declines

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, studies Chicago’s somewhat mixed-bag crime trend data with little question...
Three years later, Inflation Reduction Act blamed for higher Medicare costs

Three years later, Inflation Reduction Act blamed for higher Medicare costs

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square This past weekend marked the third anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022. While the law...
Illinois quick hits: Prosecutors charge two more in Tren de Aragua case; Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee meets today; Illinois Little League team loses in World Series

Illinois quick hits: Prosecutors charge two more in Tren de Aragua case; Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee meets today; Illinois Little League team loses in World Series

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Prosecutors charge two more in Tren de Aragua case State prosecutors have charged two more migrants as part of an investigation...
Report: Human Rights Campaign pressures transgender procedures on minors

Report: Human Rights Campaign pressures transgender procedures on minors

By Tate MillerThe Center Square (By Tate Miller) – The Human Rights Campaign pressures children’s hospitals into performing transgender procedures on minors, according to a Do No Harm report. Do...
Manhattan Township

Kankakee Bridge Project Out for Bid at $1.6 Million, Baker Road Bridge Nears Completion

Manhattan Township Meeting | July 2025 Article Summary: Manhattan Township is moving forward with two significant infrastructure projects, with the Kankakee Bridge reconstruction now out for bid at an estimated cost...
Everyday Economics: Housing market and Fed policy in focus in the week ahead

Everyday Economics: Housing market and Fed policy in focus in the week ahead

By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square This week brings crucial updates on America's housing market struggles and hints about where interest rates might head next. Housing Data Dump Several major housing...
Meeting Briefs

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan Fire Protection District Board of Trustees for July 11, 2025

At a special meeting on July 11, the Manhattan Fire Protection District Board of Trustees took decisive action to advance its new fire station project. The board moved forward with...
Exec Cmte 8.14.25.3

Executive Committee Considers $12,000 Strategic Planning Initiative with University of St. Francis

Article Summary: The Will County Executive Committee is considering a proposal from the University of St. Francis to lead a six-month, $12,178 strategic planning process. The initiative is aimed at...
Businesses brace for new tax challenges amid global tariff focus

Businesses brace for new tax challenges amid global tariff focus

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square U.S. businesses and their partners across the globe are looking to make sure they comply with the highest import duties in decades amid a worldwide...
Illinois takes over health insurance marketplace in 2026 amid skepticism

Illinois takes over health insurance marketplace in 2026 amid skepticism

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois will fully take over operation of its health insurance marketplace in 2026, moving away from...
WATCH: IL state reps challenge IEMA-OHS responses to local agencies

WATCH: IL state reps challenge IEMA-OHS responses to local agencies

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security officials are promising to be more responsive to...
Judge expands restraining order against 'Beto' O’Rourke, adds ActBlue

Judge expands restraining order against ‘Beto’ O’Rourke, adds ActBlue

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A judge has expanded a temporary restraining order against former U.S. Rep. Robert (Beto) O’Rourke and his organization, Powered by People, as well as ActBlue...
manhattan fire district graphic logo.3

District to Issue Up to $8.75M in Bonds for New Fire Station

Article Summary: The Manhattan Fire Protection District board approved an ordinance to issue up to $8.75 million in general obligation bonds to fund its new fire station. Officials said the...
Exec Cmte 8.14.25.2

Executive Committee Members Decry Roadside Litter, Call for Action Against Garbage Haulers

Article Summary: Will County Executive Committee members expressed frustration over what they described as a worsening problem of litter blowing from garbage trucks across the county. Members called for better...
Reversing Biden’s precedent, students complete FAFSA in minutes at beta-testing event

Reversing Biden’s precedent, students complete FAFSA in minutes at beta-testing event

By Tate MillerThe Center Square President Donald Trump’s Department of Education is working to restore the student aid FAFSA form after the Biden administration made what should be a couple-minute...