JANUARY 11, 2023
Vol. VII No. 2 Berkeley’s new $2.2M material storage building completed, PAGE 3
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Maywood library gets longer hours, PAGE 6
New year brings new laws to Illinois
New measures took effect in criminal law, education, hunting, among other areas
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By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois
By now, almost everyone in Illinois has heard that Jan. 1 marked the beginning of a significant change in the state’s criminal justice system – the elimination of cash bail. It’s an issue that dominated the 2022 campaigns and has been both praised and criticized on editorial pages in newspapers across the state. It essentially means that the decision as to whether a criminal suspect should be held in jail while awaiting trial will be based on public safety and the likelihood the suspect will flee rather than their financial ability to post bond. A Dec. 31 order from the Illinois Supreme Court, however, stayed the cash bail provisions’ implementation for all 102 counties until the court could rule on an appeal to the case on an expedited but indefinite timeline. The ruling prevented an uneven application of pretrial practices, as many counties had planned to forge ahead with cash bail changes until the order was issued. And while that criminal justice reform has received widespread attention, it is by no means the only new law that will take effect when the calendar turns over to 2023. See NEW LAWS on page 4
Michael Romain/Staff
In a reversal of an earlier decision to permanently close their doors, Como’s Pizza in Broadview announced that they would remain open after all. Read the story on page 2.
Hillside exploring TIF district, light manufacturing project pivots Proposed TIF targeted for 250 N. Mannheim Rd., plans for Wolf Point 290 revised to axe light manufacturing component By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
The village of Hillside is exploring the creation of a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to spur
the planned expansion of a local manufacturing company. Meanwhile, developers have altered plans for a proposed light manufacturing project in light of quality of life concerns raised by village officials and residents. The village will host two meetings on the proposals on Jan. 11 and Jan. 17, respectively. The proposed North Mannheim Road Redevelopment Project TIF district would be at 250 N. Mannheim Rd. in Hillside, located directly behind Dynamic Manufacturing Inc., a supplier of new and remanufactured auto parts at 4201 Raymond Dr. in Hillside.
Dynamic purchased the 10-acre, 181,000-square-foot property last year and is looking to remodel the interior to expand its operations, Hillside Village Administrator Joe Pisano confirmed on Jan. 6. “They have a new product line they were able to attain for the work they do with transmissions for Chrysler, Ford and a few military contractors,” Pisano said. “They’re expanding their operation with new equipment for that product line and looking to add about 130 employees.” An attempt to contact Dynamic on last See HILLSIDE on page 8