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Republished from the Journal Star of Peoria
PEORIA – Peoria County needs to explain why information regarding restaurants' possible violations of indoor dining rules aren't being released to the public, said an attorney with the Illinois Press Association.
Don Craven, who has spent years working with the state's Freedom of Information Act, said the burden is not on the media or public to explain why they want the records, but rather on the county itself to say why the records shouldn't be released. The Springfield attorney explained why there might be a "hodgepodge" of different practices around the state.
His comments come after Peoria County officials in early December denied both a Journal Star reporter's request and a Freedom of Information Act filing by the paper seeking the names of restaurants and bars submitted by citizens through the Health Department's complaint process, and whether they have received citations by the Health Department or been referred to State's Attorney Jodi Hoos for enforcement of any closure orders.
Other counties have posted information about those subjects online, or detailed for local media their investigative or citation process. However, locally there's been no answer beyond that "the County considers these active investigations and accordingly, pursuant to 5 ILCS 14017(d), denies this request to produce documentation related to these investigations," the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office said in its response to the FOIA last week.
Craven said that's not enough.
"The burden is now on the county to either provide the documents or to assert an exemption to the disclosure to the documents,” he said. “And they have to provide a detailed, legal and factual basis why they are withholding the documents. The only thing they are saying is that they are withholding due to an active investigation. That's not enough.”
The FOIA exemption the county is using states, in part, that records can be denied public release if such a release would "interfere with pending or actually and reasonably contemplated law enforcement proceedings conducted by any law enforcement or correctional agency that is the recipient of the request."
Earlier this month, Hoos said her office is "reviewing complaints on a case-by-case basis applying the facts and the law" when asked directly whether she was committing to pursue cases in which she determined COVID restrictions were violated. Beyond that, she said, she would not comment on pending investigations.
The paper is appealing the county's refusal to release records to the Public Access Counselor in the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
At a weekly press briefing on Dec. 17, Peoria City/County Health Department Administrator Monica Hendrickson was again asked about the total number of violations her office has found and how many citations the health department had issued.
"I can't talk about how many, the exact number we've had. I can say that whenever we receive any complaint through our Restore HOI (website), immediately we work with either an agency that has the most direct contact, and then we refer them out, and we also do educational points with them. Then if we have additional complaints with them, then we start issuing additional [complaints]. And the final notice we provide, then we refer them to the state's attorney's office," she said in response to that question.
Just over two weeks ago, Hendrickson said more than 100 complaints had been received on the RestoreHOI.com website. Pressed on the issue Dec. 17, she was asked if there was an updated number she could provide.
"I don't have the number with me," she said.
Craven said that wasn't appropriate, and that if an agency was worried about releasing a name, the redaction was one avenue.
"That's easily redacted, like blacking out the Social Security number of someone in a police report. It is done every day. It's not enough to simply claim there is an ongoing investigation. ... They can withhold information, but only to the extent that disclosure would interfere with an active investigation."
The attorney admitted "the release of the documents under the FOIA has been a hodgepodge across the state for long as I have been doing this job." It can vary town to town and county to county. That explains why in Winnebago County, the health department there has posted the names of businesses and how many times they have been cited on its website. In Sangamon County, the prosecutor there filed against a handful of eateries or taverns to force compliance. And in McLean County, the Normal City Council was considering passing an ordinance to enforce the restrictions. "It varies from town to town and it varies within counties. It depends upon the political bent on the people who are making the decisions," Craven said. "With respect to the COVID mitigation, there are some folks in this state who do not see it to be in their political self-interest to enforce those mitigations. They would soon tamp down any discussion of who might be involved in violation of those restrictions. "If there was a discussion of those, then there might be some pressure to enforce and they don't want to do that.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2026 Media Contact Information: Bob Hubberts (847) 508-4995 bhubberts@firstillinoisrobotics.org
Chicago, Illinois – Creativity and science will come together this Saturday at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Illinois State Championship at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, Illinois, where 56 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students and coaches will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community. The tournament is open to the public. The robot table competition portion of the event starts at Noon on Saturday, February 14th. More than 650,000 students in over 75 countries will participate in the FIRST® UNEARTHED season. Teams will have to program robots, using LEGO Education technology, to solve a set of missions on an obstacle course set on a thematic playing surface. For the UNEARTHED challenge students will unearth hidden treasures and piece together the past as they embark on this thrilling journey of discovery. Students will identify and research a problem related to the season theme and then design and create a possible solution. They will also identify a mission strategy and design, create, and code a robot to complete missions during a 2.5-minute Robot Game. The competition is judged in three areas: innovation project; robot design, and core values, which embody aspects of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Top robot game scores are also honored. FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9- to 14-year-olds (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get students excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Using LEGO® Education technologies and materials, students work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After several intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized “sport,” teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips. The tournament is being run by FIRST Illinois Robotics, a 501 c3 organization focused on delivering FIRST programs in Illinois. Contact us for a list of the area schools and youth organizations with teams participating in the competition. About FIRST® FIRST® is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future through a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school, in structured after-school programs or by other organizations or groups of parents. Boosted by a global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors that include over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, teams operate under a signature set of FIRST Core Values to conduct research, fundraise, design, build, and showcase their achievements during annual challenges. An international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989, FIRST has a proven impact on STEM learning, interest, and skill-building well beyond high school. Participants and alumni of FIRST programs gain access to education and career discovery opportunities, connections to exclusive scholarships and employers, and a place in the FIRST community for life. Learn more at firstinspires.org.
### To learn more about FIRST programs in Illinois, go to www.firstillinoisrobotics.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 7, 2026 Media Contact Information: Christopher Weishaar Digital Public relations Specialist (515) 273-7140 cweishaar@studentloan.org
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (January 7, 2026) — Six high school seniors will each earn a scholarship valued at $1,500 through the 2026 ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship program. This program is sponsored by ISL Education Lending and is designed to make higher education more accessible while equipping students with essential financial literacy skills. Who Can Apply? All high school seniors attending school in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible to enter. No essay is required—making it simple and stress-free to apply. Parents Can Register Their Student Parents now have the option to register their student for the scholarship program, ensuring every eligible senior has the opportunity to participate. What Makes This Program Unique? Every participant will learn valuable financial literacy tips during the process, helping them prepare for life after high school. How to Apply Applications open on January 5, 2026, and close on April 30, 2026. Students and parents can apply online at www.iowastudentloan.org/Midwest. Winners will be announced in June 2026. Scholarship Details
Why It Matters “Student loan debt is a huge concern for new college students,” said Steve McCullough, president and CEO of ISL Education Lending. “As a nonprofit, we provide tools and resources to help high school seniors plan so they can reduce the amount of debt they need to take on while achieving their education goals. Students sign up for a chance at a $1,500 scholarship, and we take that opportunity to share information with them about our free resources.” Additional Resources Available In addition to offering student loans, ISL Education Lending has other resources for families planning for college and for students who intend to pursue advanced degrees. The Parent Handbook consists of valuable tips to help families of students in sixth through 12th grades prepare for success in college and other postsecondary options. Parents of students in eighth through 12th grades can also sign up to receive twice-monthly emailed tips on academic, college and career planning through the Student Planning Pointers for Parents program. The College Funding Forecaster helps families understand the total cost of four years of college based on a freshman-year financial aid offer. Information about these resources is available at www.IowaStudentLoan.org/SmartBorrowing.
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About ISL Education Lending Established in 1979 as Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, a private, nonprofit organization, ISL Education Lending helps students and families obtain the resources necessary to succeed in postsecondary education. ISL has helped nearly 400,000 students pay for college, offering student loans and other products under the name ISL Education Lending. The organization, based in West Des Moines, Iowa, also provides an array of borrower benefits, financial literacy tools and community reinvestment programs, including support for free college planning services for students and their families. For more information, visit www.IowaStudentLoan.org.
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