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THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025
District 88 hosts SHE Conference to provide students with day of connection, courage and conversation On March 25, more than 100 female students from Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools came together for a day of connection, courage and conversation, as District 88 hosted its first SHE Conference—which stands for Strength, Hope and Empowerment. The schools have previ-
ously hosted individual SHE Days, but this was the first districtwide event. The workshop focused on helping students build confidence and address challenges, as well as teaching them to network and support one another. The keynote speaker was 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year, Dr. Rachael Mahmood,
who guided participants through a dynamic dialogue model titled “The World Café.” Mahmood shared her personal story of growing up in a diverse family and struggling to find where she fit in at school. She also communicated an important message: To ensure a school environment where all students and
staff members feel a sense of belonging, it takes everyone working together with intentional effort. “The World Café” provided students with an opportunity to engage in an interactive activity with their peers. They discussed the characteristics of an ideal school, the challeng-
Law enforcement officers would no longer be allowed to search a vehicle or detain a driver who is over age 21 based solely on the smell of burnt cannabis in the vehicle under a bill that passed last week in the Illinois Senate. Senate Bill 42, sponsored by Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, is a response to a September 2024 Illinois Supreme Court decision that held the smell of burnt cannaSUBMITTED PHOTO Addison Independent bis alone was insufficient to More than 100 female students from Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools establish probable cause for gathered on March 25 for the annual SHE Conference, which helped students build searching a vehicle without a confidence and address challenges, as well as teach them to network and support warrant. one another. In a separate opinion from December, however, the court ruled the odor of raw cannabis coming from a vehicle is sufficient evidence to provide officers with probable cause for a search because the smell suggests cannabis is not being transported in an odor-proof container as required by state law. Both of those decisions stemmed from Illinois’ landmark legislation, passed in 2019, legalizing adult use of
Opinion.............................4 Police reports ��������������������8 Speak out..........................5 Sports......................... 18-20
the segment, and to read the article, go to https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/16757). The SHE Conference was organized by District 88 Student Success Coordinator, Dr. VaLarie Humphrey, along with a team of female staff members and administrators from both high schools.
Bills addressing cannabis odor in vehicle, safe gun storage pass state Senate CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
Inside:
es and strengths of District 88 with regard to providing a welcoming learning environment, and action steps students can implement to make a positive difference. ABC 7 Chicago covered the event as part of the news station’s celebration of Women’s History Month. To watch
recreational marijuana statewide. The Senate bill calls for repealing one requirement in that law—that cannabis in a vehicle be kept in an “odorproof” container, but it continues to require the cannabis be kept in a “sealed or reusable and child-resistant container that is inaccessible.” “I want to be very clear that I encourage every driver to drive sober at all times,” Ventura said on the Senate floor. “This is directing law enforcement to take into the totality of the circumstances.” But opponents of the bill said the proposed policy made no sense from a law enforcement standpoint. “We would never, ever ask a police officer to disregard the odor of alcohol when they pull a car over,” said Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. “Why on earth would we ask a police officer to disregard the odor of cannabis? At a minimum, they should have the duty to ensure that the driver is not impaired.”
Safe gun storage requirements advance in General Assembly Illinois senators also passed legislation last week that would require gun owners to keep their weapons securely stored so they are not accessible to minors. Known as the Safe Guns Storage Act, Senate Bill 8, sponsored by Sen. Laura Ellman, D-Naperville, would require any firearms owner to store their firearm in a secured, locked container in any location where a minor or at-risk person could otherwise access the firearm. The bill would also allow local law enforcement agencies to revoke a person’s Firearm Owner’s Identification card if they fail on two or more occasions to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours. “The sooner a firearm is reported lost or stolen, the more likely it is that law enforcement can investigate and recover that firearm before it’s used to commit a crime,” Ellman said. The bill passed on a vote of 33-19 and goes to the House.
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