The case had been scheduled to go to trial in the next week, and was supposed to be the first to be heard in federal court in Chicago over the issue of whether Abbott’s specialized cow’s milk-based formula for preterm babies causes a life-threatening intestinal disease called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

North suburban-based Abbott and formula-maker Mead Johnson are facing hundreds of lawsuits in federal court in Chicago over the issue, and Abbott is facing more than 1,400 lawsuits total in courts across the country. The case resolved Friday was a bellwether case, meaning its outcome was meant to help determine how the hundreds of other cases in federal court in Chicago proceeded, and/or how to settle those cases. The court is scheduled to hear three additional bellwether cases about the issue, with the next trial slated to begin in August.

Jose Rojas, an attorney for the plaintiff in the case that was thrown out Friday, said he was “disappointed” by the decision.

“We’re exploring all our options at the moment,” said Rojas, who is also co-lead counsel in the multidistrict litigation, meaning he’s helping to lead litigation for all the cases over the issue in federal court in Chicago. “I think it goes without saying that we’re devastated by the ruling. This is a family that is really destroyed by the death of their daughter.”

An Abbott spokesperson declined to comment Monday.

In the case, Kentucky woman Ericka Mar contended that her daughter RaiLee, who was born at 28 weeks gestation in 2014, died when she was about 2 weeks old after being fed a cow’s milk-based product made by Abbott. Mar alleges in her lawsuit that the formula was defective or unreasonably dangerous, that Abbott was negligent in selling it and that Abbott failed to warn health care providers and consumers of its dangers.

But on Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer granted Abbott’s request for summary judgment and sided with the company.

In her order, Pallmeyer wrote that Mar had not been able to present evidence that Abbott could have designed the formula differently to be safer, nor that her daughter’s illness would have been prevented if Abbott had provided warnings about the higher risk of NEC in preterm babies who consume cow’s milk-based formulas.

Pallmeyer wrote that her decision in the case has “limited direct application” to the hundreds of other cases against the formula-makers in federal court in Chicago. She wrote that it’s possible plaintiffs in those other cases will be able to overcome the issues that led her to rule in favor of Abbott, depending on what evidence and testimony they provide.

In a bright spot for the other cases, Pallmeyer also decided Friday to deny Abbott’s request to exclude from those cases testimony from two expert witnesses on the link between cow’s milk-based formulas and NEC. And she denied Abbott’s motion for summary judgment in the other cases.

Wells Fargo analysts said in a note Sunday that their legal consultant “believes that it is likely that most, if not all, of the pending cases will fail on these same theories,” though it’s possible different state laws might give other plaintiffs more “breathing room,” the analysts wrote.

Rojas said he “vehemently” disagrees that the other cases against Abbott and Mead Johnson will fail.

The ruling on Friday was the latest twist in a yearslong legal battle between Abbott and families of babies who became ill after consuming the company’s specialized formula for preterm infants — a battle that has potential implications for both Abbott and families with babies born very prematurely.

Research has shown that formula feeding is associated with higher rates of NEC for premature infants, but that’s not to say that cow’s milk-based formulas cause the disease. Some premature babies who are fed only breast milk also develop NEC.

Last year, three major federal agencies — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health — released a statement saying, “There is no conclusive evidence that preterm infant formula causes NEC.”

Some medical professionals are concerned about the many cases against Abbott and Mead Johnson, saying juries should not be deciding questions that scientists can’t even answer. They also worry that large verdicts against Abbott could lead the company to pull its cow’s milk-based products for preterm infants off the market, leaving some families who depend on the products in a bind.

Though neonatologists agree that mothers’ breast milk should always be the first choice of nutrition for babies born very prematurely, it’s not always available, and donated breast milk is not always an option.

Abbott Chairman and CEO Robert Ford warned in an earnings call last year, “If the regulatory process is disregarded, if the science is disregarded, it’s going to be very difficult for any company to remain on the market with these products, taking on that indefinite liability here, at least in the United States.” The specialized formulas, which are generally given in hospitals, represent a very small portion of Abbott’s overall sales.

Though Mar’s case was supposed to be the first one to go to trial in federal court, three other cases about the issue have already been heard in state courts. One of those cases resulted in a verdict of $60 million against Mead Johnson and another ended with a $495 million verdict against Abbott Laboratories — an outcome Abbott is appealing.

In the third case, Abbott initially prevailed, with a jury deciding Abbott and Mead Johnson were not liable for a boy developing NEC after he was fed the companies’ cow’s milk-based products for premature infants. But in a setback for Abbott and Mead Johnson, a St. Louis judge in March granted a motion for a new trial citing “errors and misconduct” in the original trial.

“This is the official — that I’m not going to run again for Congress,” Schakowsky said to a crowd of about 1,000 people attending an Ultimate Women’s Power Luncheon event she hosted at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Hotel. “As much as I love and have loved being in the Congress of the United States, such an incredible, incredible privilege to work with the people of the district, to learn from them, to be an organizer, to be a fighter — well, that will never end. But I have made the decision that I am not going to seek reelection this time.”

The move marks the end of an era for a reliably Democratic district that Schakowsky, 80, of Evanston, has represented since 1999 after soundly defeating two opponents, including JB Pritzker, in an open-seat primary. Before her, Sidney Yates held the seat for 24 terms, almost 50 years.

Her retirement will undoubtedly set off a series of political maneuvers. Even before Schakowsky’s announcement, a social media content creator had declared candidacy for the seat: 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh, a progressive critic of the far right who moved to Illinois last year and outraised Schakowsky in the first quarter.

Abughazaleh will almost certainly be joined by a field of Democratic hopefuls that could include Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, state Sen. Laura Fine, state Rep. Hoan Huynh and others.

Schakowsky declined to say Monday whether she’d support any particular candidate to succeed her.

Biss and Fine, who were at the luncheon, both declined to discuss whether they were interested in the seat.

“This is a day to talk about Jan’s remarkable legacy,” Biss said. “I just feel really fortunate to have a leader like her in this role, and I feel excited to think about that and thank her.”

Schakowsky’s retirement announcement came less than two weeks after U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, also 80, declared that he would not seek another term.

Speaking with reporters after the luncheon, Schakowsky said making the decision to retire was “not as tough as you might think.”

“It’s been a long time that I’ve been in the Congress,” she said.

Schakowsky wore a true red suit, as she had throughout her first campaign and when she first declared victory for the seat. The same bright color was reflected in many of the blazers, cardigans and blouses of her supporters at the more than 100 tables in the ballroom.

Schakowsky was a state representative when she first ran for Congress on her record as a lawmaker and activist, offering a “message of equal rights for women, minorities and gays, protection for union workers, and affordable national health care,” the Tribune wrote.

She was seen as more progressive than her two Democratic primary opponents, state Sen. Howard Carroll and Pritzker, who finished third. The primary was one of the most expensive in the nation at the time, as Pritzker, heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, spent nearly $1 million of his own money. In his two bids for governor, Pritzker has spent $350 million.

When she won in 1998, Schakowsky said voters’ desire to have a woman representative may have put her over the edge, as she was elected at a time when all of the state’s then 20 members in the House were men. 

“Now the men’s club delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives will have a woman’s voice,” she said then.

At the time of her first win, the 9th Congressional District ran along Lake Michigan from Diversey Avenue to Evanston’s northern border before shifting west to take in some of the city’s Northwest Side, as well as north suburban Skokie, Golf, Morton Grove, Lincolnwood and much of Niles. Today, the district is still heavily Democratic but stretches from the Far North Side of Chicago to include all or part of Buffalo Grove, Tower Lake and Hawthorn Woods as well as other parts of Cook and McHenry counties.

Even as her district’s borders changed, Schakowsky has not had a serious primary challenger since she was first elected to Congress and has easily defeated Republican opponents in the general election.

Over the years, she rose to become a member of the House Democratic leadership team under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and was an ardent voice of women’s rights and increasing the number of women elected to Congress. She twice backed Marie Newman in her challenges to incumbent conservative Democrat U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, with Newman defeating Lipinski in 2020. Schakowsky has also been a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, skipping his joint address to Congress this year as she did in 2018.

Speaking on Monday, Schakowsky asked her supporters — who had name tags and signs declaring “I’M A JAN FAN!” — to continue to resist Trump’s policies and believe they could win.

She told reporters that she planned to continue her activism and support for candidates to elected office.

“You know, I can still be a badass,” she said onstage to raucous applause.

Throughout her time in Washington, Schakowsky was an advocate for stricter gun laws, health care reform and the consumer issues that helped buoy her to the national stage. She was an early critic of the Iraq war and a supporter of abortion rights.

Schakowsky, who is Jewish and has been a staunch supporter of Israel, more recently was criticized by some on the left who thought she should more forcefully advocate for Palestinians in the ongoing war in Gaza.

The daughter of Jewish immigrants, Schakowsky grew up in Chicago and was active in public interest groups before running for the state legislature. Her husband, Robert Creamer, was the founder of one of those groups, Illinois Public Action. Creamer, a political consultant, was sentenced to five months in prison in 2006 for using bad checks to prop up his struggling consumer group and for a tax charge.

At the luncheon, Schakowsky’s announcement came after speeches from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Pritzker.

“Jan taught me the first and most important lesson in politics: how to accept defeat when the best woman for the job wins,” Pritzker said. “Decades of service since, she continues to teach me.”

Last week, addressing the potential of a primary field shaping up to replace Durbin, Pritzker recalled the 1997 campaign and encouraged new leadership in the Senate race. 

“Remember, I ran for Congress when I was 31 years old, and there were an awful lot of people who said to me that it’s not your turn. I ran anyway. I think that in fact we need more young people, we need the new generation,” he said. 

Schakowsky herself once represented a generational change, as she took over her seat from someone who held it for nearly 50 years. As she announced she would become the first declared candidate for Yates’ post in April 1997, Schakowsky traced her career to one of her first and most famous political fights: getting freshness dates on groceries.

“A date on cottage cheese did not change the world, but it’s changed my life forever,” she said. “It convinced me that a few committed individuals could make their world better.”

Demonstrators were unhappy about potential changes by the federal government, which could reduce the quality of services at the Social Security office and on the phone. They voiced their concerns with chants of “hands off Social Security” aimed at President Donald Trump.

Jane Ferry of Waukegan, who collects Social Security benefits, said her contribution to the program was deducted from every paycheck she received during her working life. It is now part of the income she uses to support her lifestyle.

“All I know is, I don’t want it to be cut,” Ferry said.

Charlotte Callahan Wozniak, a former member of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education and part of a longstanding local printing business, said the money comes from employer contributions too, not just from the government.

“North Shore Printers has always matched the employee contributions,” Wozniak said. “We’re been around since 1933,” she added, pointing out the company started shortly before the Social Security Act became law.

Ferry and Wozniak were among the more than 500 people demonstrating against cutbacks in services offered by Social Security and the fear of cuts in the program Saturday in front of the Social Security Administration Office in Waukegan.

Demonstrators, many of them senior citizens, lined Lewis Avenue holding signs and chanting phrases in protest of the cutback of government services coming from executive orders. They also criticized Elon Musk’s cost-cutting as part of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Unlike other recent anti-Trump administration protests in Lake County, where the demonstrations consisted of chants and signs, this time there were speeches in an adjoining parking lot from union representatives, organizers and U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park.

Schneider emphasized that Social Security is an earned benefit. He said it not only provides a safety net for retired seniors who worked their entire lives, but also for children, widows, spouses and disabled workers.

In the 10th Congressional District he represents, Schneider said $262 million in monthly benefits are distributed. The payments go to 101,668 retirees, 5,468 children, 6,788 widows, 4,486 spouses and 9,629 disabled workers.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk do not need to be collecting this,” Schneider said. “Keep up this fight. Tell them to stop this injustice to widows and children. When you do that, we can make a difference.”

Mark Shaw, the Republican state central committeeman for the 10th Congressional District, said neither Trump nor the Republican majority in Congress has proposed reducing Social Security benefits. He conceded that procedures are being modified.

“I believe people should get what they bargained for,” Shaw said. “However, we do need to increase the efficiency in the way those benefits are received. Donald Trump said he is going to bring efficiency to the federal government. I don’t see how anyone could disagree with that.”

While Schneider realizes the ability of the Democratic minority to impact the changes Trump is trying to implement is limited, he said after the meeting, he plans to push for what he can as part of the Committee on Ways and Means.

“We’ll keep emphasizing the numbers don’t work,” Schneider said. “The Democrats will work in committee to highlight what the Republicans are doing. They’re taking money away from hardworking families.”

David McDowell of Waukegan, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said he was at the office recently and received good service applying for Medicare Part B coverage. He is on Medicare and receives Social Security payments. He pointed out he had earned them.

“Those things were a promise made to me the minute I started to pay into FICA and Medicare in 1978,” McDowell said. “I had a small issue with my signup and I couldn’t find it online. It was a huge help to have an office to come to.”

While there, McDowell said he saw other workers in the office helping individuals needing help with forms and other problems. They all seemed to be getting the assistance they needed. Others had issues more complex than his.

Jill Hornick, an American Federal Government Employees official, who directs all Social Security offices in Illinois, said layoffs are likely coming because not enough people took voluntary buyouts.

Benet, Carmel, Joliet Catholic, Marian Catholic, Marist, Marmion, Nazareth and St. Viator are joining the GCAC. All of those high schools except Marmion, which will be going coed for the first time that academic year, are members of the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Benet, Carmel, Joliet Catholic, Marian, Marist, Nazareth, Notre Dame, St. Patrick and St. Viator will be joining the Catholic League. All of those schools also are from the ESCC. Notre Dame and St. Patrick are all-boys schools.

Thomas Schergen, the principal of De La Salle and executive representative of the GCAC and Catholic League, welcomed the development.

“Both leagues are extremely competitive,” Schergen said. “With the addition of these tradition-rich East Suburban Catholic institutions, we have set our respective conferences on a continued path of success and continue to strengthen these premier Catholic athletic organizations.

“We look forward to having these new members under the Chicago Catholic League and Girls Catholic Athletic Conference banners, both athletically and academically.”

Founded in 1975, the ESCC began with Carmel, Holy Cross, Marist, Notre Dame, St. Joseph, St. Patrick and St. Viator. Between 1982 and 2014, Joliet Catholic, Benet, Marian Catholic and Marian Central Catholic entered the mix. Fenwick, Bishop McNamara and Providence joined the ESCC with girls teams before leaving for the GCAC.

Since 1974, the ESCC have won 96 team state championships and 91 individual state titles.

The addition of the ESCC schools and Marmion will boost the GCAC to 24 teams. The Catholic League will expand to 26. The Catholic League was started in 1912. The GCAC was established in 1974.

Dan Tully, principal at Notre Dame and chairman of the board of the ESCC, also was excited about the move.

“The ESCC’s legacy of academic and athletic success, as well as our standards for competitive excellence, align closely with the heritage of the Chicago Catholic League and Girls Catholic Athletic Conference,” Tully said. “Bringing our schools together will expand competitive opportunities based on geography and parity while also maintaining long-standing rivalries for the benefit of our communities, teams and student-athletes.

“As faith-based institutions, we strive to offer a comprehensive educational experience, along with high-quality co-curricular programming. The ESCC’s history of achievement dovetails with the rich traditions of the CCL and GCAC and we look forward to furthering our partnership.”

Business leaders, along with elected officials, recently became globalists, traveling to Mexico and Japan to tout the laurels of doing business here and in Illinois.

According to last week’s Steve Sadin News-Sun story, Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, D-Lake Bluff, and Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners, were out and about lobbying foreign businesses to expand or locate in the county.

The separate trips came during the economic roiling hitting the U.S., caused by the trade war President Donald Trump has ignited by slapping high tariffs on many of our long-time trading partners. The jury is still out on what Trump’s actions will accomplish, but in the short term, it doesn’t look good for Americans’ pocketbooks.

Worries over the international trade war Trump has unleashed were but one reason Hart journeyed to Mexico and Considine to Japan. They understand Lake County is a center of global enterprise, with many companies impacted by the president’s tariff skirmishes.

Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie and Baxter don’t just market their pharmaceuticals and diagnostics in the U.S. Their reach spans the globe.

Indeed, Lake County Partners, the Lincolnshire-based collaboration between private business and government, estimates nearly half of Illinois’ biopharma output comes from Lake County. The Partners have been cultivating long-term economic growth and job creation in the county for more than 25 years.

Frequent readers know I have long railed over our neighboring states’ cherry-picking Lake County firms and enticing them to the promised land of Kenosha County just over the Illinois state line. Companies like the shipping supply firm Uline, which began in a North Shore basement, have found continued success after moving much of its operation north to the friendly confines of America’s Dairyland.

Trump’s tariff crusade surely was another impetus for the trade trips. Considine reported in Sadin’s account that 24 Japanese businesses are operating in the county. Another 15 firms headquartered in Germany are located here.

Supply-chain issues, too, weigh heavily on international firms, officials note. Hart said 83% of the continental U.S. population is a two-day trucking distance from Illinois.

“With the third-largest interstate highway network in the U.S., the most-connected intermodal rail system and the nation’s largest airports and inland waterways for barges, manufacturers can transport their goods and people across the globe with greater speed and reliability,” she said.

Hart traveled to Mexico last month along with Gov. J.B. Pritzker on a trade mission organized by Intersect Illinois, the state’s economic development organization.

Considine was in Japan in March as part of a delegation with the Greater Chicagoland Economic Partnership. Some 500 Japanese firms do business in the Chicago region, employing more than 60,000 workers.

Trump’s tariff binge also may have spurred Abbott to announce an investment of $500 million in research and development at its sprawling headquarters campus off routes 43 and 137, along with a location in Dallas. The firm also has offices at Willis Tower in Chicago’s Loop.

The pharmaceutical giant expects to hire an additional 200 people, the company said in a news release. Abbott has 89 manufacturing sites around the world, 35 in the U.S. Company officials said Abbott has invested nearly $5 billion in domestic manufacturing, with another $10.7 billion in R&D.

Another recent economic development win for the county was the announcement last month that Vantive, the Baxter International spinoff involved with kidney care products, will make a $23 million investment and site its new headquarters at 510 Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield, the former home of Caterpillar Inc., which bolted for Texas.

In a statement, Hart said that the action is, “further solidifying Lake County’s position as the number one life sciences hub in the Midwest.” The new company, with 200 employees, is receiving a state incentive package and expects to create another 50 full-time jobs.

With economists forecasting dire financial projections due to the imposition of trade tariffs, the recent actions by local and state officials put Lake County in a position to weather any forthcoming hardships. Even those issued by the Trump administration, which seems to enjoy targeting the Land of Lincoln.

With their planned investments, it doesn’t look like business leaders at Abbott and Vantive are perturbed about what the president has to say about Illinois or about the economic bloodshed his trade battles may evoke.

Charles Selle is a former News-Sun reporter, political editor and editor. 

sellenews@gmail.com

X: @sellenews

The rural 8-acre property, along Delaney Road in Zion, gave the family, along with their children, William and Ayashia Bevly, a chance to bond. It also raised the possibility of teaching others the hobby.

After applying and receiving a $100,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education, through its after-school program initiative, Black’s Academy of Excellence was formed as a non-profit agency. The goal was to provide children with an opportunity for exposure to crafts and hobbies that could lead to a future career path.

Zion Elementary School District 6 officials were interested in the idea and approach, supplying space in the Central Middle School’s basement, with three large rooms, each assigned a given craft for each day.

“We do different programs including beekeeping, fish farming, gardening, creative arts, and culinary arts,” Juanita Black said. “Every Tuesday and Thursday, we alternate between them. We also have vendors come in and teach them different skill sets, like videography.”

Lake County Circuit Court Judge Reginald Matthew once came in, she said.

“He held a mock jury trial and delivered inspirational messages that the kids can do things if they apply themselves,” Black said. “We try to do as much as we can, exposing them to a career, but at the same time keeping them busy.”

There are no cell phones allowed while programs are being run, and everyone is engaged. On a recent day, the kitchen area was covered in the materials for making spaghetti, sauce and garlic bread.

As for the food, the students get to enjoy their own cooking and go home with leftovers for their families. The skills learned also get translated into something practical, such as children whipping up dinner for their families.

“One night, I made lasagna for dinner, and my family was surprised,” student Sienna Miller said. “I like coming here after school, because there’s always something different going on. I like cooking the best, though.”

Another room had creative painting, and the printing of original-design T-shirts by the students.

Several volunteers mixed the paints in separate batches, with each student getting a canvas to express themselves visually. The young artists splashed on every color possible, even moving the frame to drip the paint at different angles.

Thirty students from the middle school are now participating in the programs. The school itself is very supportive of the venture, and is looking for ways to expand it.

“I love this. I wish they would have been here earlier,” said Tara Thomas, the district’s academic enrichment coordinator. “What I like about it is that it is an incentive … if the kids realize they are not doing well in school regarding behavior, they may not be able to participate. They want to participate. It helps us — a two-way street and a win-win.”

Christopher Johnson, the school’s principal, said, “Black’s Academy has partnered with us this year, and is helping sixth- and seventh-grade students develop positive social skills and professional skills, outside the classroom. They’ve also taken them to their farm, teaching craftsmanship, and they’ve been very successful.”

Juanita Black also said a summer camp is in the works, including meals, supervision, and of course, hobbies like beekeeping. Funding is being researched through private and business donations, or individual assistance.

“We want to help kids grow,” Black said. “If they get the urge to continue with something they’ve learned through the program … what better foundation can we offer?”

Eliza Fournier, the Urban Farm Center Director at the College of Lake County, said when the farm is built, two-thirds of the 24,000-square-foot building will be devoted to hydroponic farming, with fresh produce grown 12 months a year.

“This will be the most affordable food grown without chemicals,” Fournier said. “The center will be a model for urban farming, demonstrating how we can grow food in the heart of Waukegan. This space will demonstrate how nutritious food can be affordable, accessible and fun.”

Fournier and CLC President Lori Suddick led a large group from the community formally breaking ground for the Urban Farm Center Friday at the school’s growing Lakeshore Campus in downtown Waukegan, representing another step in the growth of the area.

Jesus Ruiz, the dean of the Lakeshore Campus, said the farm means a lot to the city where he was raised after immigrating as a child from Mexico. He is excited about what it will do for his hometown.

“This is progress for our downtown,” Ruiz said. “(It) will revitalize not only our campus, but breathe new life into downtown Waukegan,” Ruiz said. “This space will provide fresh, nutritious, locally grown food right here. More than that, it will nourish the spirit of our community.”

Suddick said construction will start as soon as permits are secured from the city. All other approvals are in order. She anticipates completion by the end of 2026. It will be located on Sheridan Road adjacent to the five-story student center opened in 2023.

Lettuce and tomatoes are not the only planned crops. Fournier said there will be mushrooms, herbs, peppers and more. All farming will be hydroponic. Students will have an opportunity to not only learn, but also find work.

Along with growing fresh produce to be sold at a market in the farm structure, Fournier said the building will also be a place where food entrepreneurs can grow their business in a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen. She sees it becoming a “community hub.”

“Our vision is to ensure this Urban Farm Center becomes a vibrant, thriving resource for everyone,” Fournier said. “A place where we not only grow food, but we grow people, grow opportunities and grow a stronger, healthier community.”

A café and market will offer “grab and go” meals for sale prepared by those developing their business in the commercial kitchen, as well as coffee, other beverages and fresh produce.

Plans call for having it open during school hours, from  7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. It will be closed on Sunday.

Unique in another way for CLC, Suddick said it is the first time in the school’s history that a capital campaign was funded as a public-private partnership. Russell Bartemus approached her about the idea. Since there was no room in the budget at the time, a fundraising effort began.

Plans were made, Fournier was hired and the Waukegan City Council approved the project. Still, Suddick said before construction could start, $15 million had to come from donations. By October, $9.87 million was in the bank. The goal was reached earlier this year. The school added another $3 million to complete the needed $18 million,

Leigh Ann Jacobson, the executive director of the College of Lake County Foundation, said another $1.5 million will be raised toward the completion of the project.

The library’s celebration included “Star Wars” crafts, a scavenger hunt, a photo booth backdrop with oversized cardboard figures such as Luke Skywalker and games with a “Star Wars” theme. And, of course, visitors could come dressed in costumes.

Chewbacca, the renowned scruffy Wookiee warrior and Han Solo’s co-pilot, was portrayed by Jill Knuth, a youth services librarian.

”I’ve always been a ‘Star Wars’ fan,” she said. “I’ve been to big conventions and everything.”

While Chewbacca is a beloved character, Knuth’s favorite franchise celebrity is C-3PO, the golden robot who is like a butler or voice of reason for its companions.

The franchise, “just brings families together through fantasy, fun, just overall, the lore of ‘Star Wars,’” Knuth said. Especially for children, Knuth believes that “Star Wars” teaches, “That there’s always hope.

”Don’t give up; never give up,” Knuth said. “There are a lot of things that you can take away from ‘Star Wars.’”

Michelle Stinson, the community engagement librarian, brought daughters Zinnia, 6, and Adelaide, 4.

“The last time I’ve actually seen ‘Star Wars’ was when I was a kid myself,” she said. “But I just thought that it brought a lot of creativity to not only the parents who were watching it, but to the kids as well, and I’m trying to introduce my kids to things I watched or enjoyed while I was a child.“

Rosa Medrano of Zion accompanied her grandchildren, the Serrato siblings of Zion, Valentina, 5, and Amalia, 6.

“I’m happy for them, they wanted to come,” she said with a smile.

Medrano has “not really” watched “Star Wars,” but is aware of the character of Darth Vader.

“What I like about this library is that they make a lot of events for the kids,” she said. “Every time we can, we bring them.”

Ayden Moore, 11, of Waukegan, tried out the lightsabers at the photo booth. Ayden’s favorite Star Wars character is Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi master who promotes the message of having faith in practicing what is right.

Ayden feels that if you believe in something, you should, “make it happen.”

Vanessa Mora of Zion, who brought children Jayden Mora, 4, and Sophia, 7, said, “I love this library. They’re so friendly and nice, and they always have a lot of activities for the family.”

Star Wars, she said, teaches children, “hope. There’s a lot of imagination, too.”

Email Daily Southtown results to southtownsports@gmail.com, Beacon-News, Courier-News and Naperville Sun results to tribwestsports@gmail.com and News-Sun results to newssunsports@gmail.com.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

LOCAL COLLEGES

SOFTBALL

Benedictine 2-7, Aurora University 1-4

Lake Forest College 2-6, Monmouth 0-1

Game 1 Lake Forest College: Riley Stiles CG, 3 H, 0 ER.

Game 2 Lake Forest College (25-14-1, 14-2 Midwest): Kyla Chevalier 2-for-3, double, 2 runs. Emmie Nyen solo HR.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

HIGH SCHOOLS

BASEBALL

Argo 16, Hubbard 0 (4 innings)

Aurora Central Catholic 10, Leo 0 (5 innings)

ACC (11-10, 2-4 CCL White): Luke Torrence CG, H, 10 Ks. Brodie Curry 2-for-3, double, run, 2 RBIs.

Bartlett 3, Riverside-Brookfield 2

Bartlett (11-13-1, 8-4 Upstate Eight): Josh Colaizzi CG, ER, 12 Ks. Alex Bihun 2 RBIs; GW RBI in bottom 7th.

Beecher 5, St. Anne 1

Benet 6-8, Carmel 5-3

Game 1 Benet: Quinn Rooney GW sac fly in bottom 7th.

Game 2 Benet (15-7, 7-3 ESCC): Luke Wildes 3-run HR.

Brother Rice 13, St.Rita 0 (5 innings)

Chicago Christian 7, Marian Central Catholic 4

Chicago Christian (15-8, 6-3 Chicagoland Christian): Micah Buikema 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs. Rafe Slager 2 runs.

Deerfield 6, Crystal Lake Central 5

Deerfield (11-12): Easton Newman 2 runs, RBI, 2 stolen bases.

Fremd 10, Warren 9 (8 innings)

Warren (14-8): Mason Durst double, 3 RBIs. Braxton Goodfellow 2 RBIs.

Geneva 4, Batavia 3

Geneva (18-6, 8-3 DuKane): Nick Price 2-for-3, run, 2 RBIs. Noah Hallahan 2-for-4, run, RBI.

Jacobs 2, Lake Zurich 1

Joliet Catholic 6-15, St. Patrick 2-2

JCA (12-11, 6-2 ESCC): Keegan Farnaus combined 3-for-4, 4 runs, 6 RBIs.

Joliet West 2, Lockport 0

Kaneland 15-6, Lisle 0-0

Game 1 Kaneland: Aidan Whildin 2 runs, 2 RBIs.

Game 2 Kaneland (17-5): Kayden Johnson 2 RBIs.

Lake Central (Ind.) 8, Lincoln-Way Central 6

Libertyville 1, Highland Park 0

Libertyville (21-2): Ryan Wilberding 2-for-3, run.

Lincoln-Way East 7, Oswego East 3

Lincoln-Way East (19-4): Colin Bettenhausen 5 IP, 2 H. Charlie Cosich 3 runs.

Marist 8, St. Viator 0

Marist (13-8, 6-2 ESCC): Tommy Hosty 5 IP, 0 H. John McAuliffe 2 RBIs. Matt Molesky 2 RBIs.

Marmion 10, Fenwick 9

Marmion (14-9-1, 5-1 CCL White): Trajan Storto-Featherson 2-for-2, double, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Kevin Schultz 2-for-5, double, HR, 3 RBIs. Scored 4 runs in top 7th.

Metea Valley 9, Taft 2

Metea (10-14): Caleb Allen CG, 9 Ks. Ethan Singer run, 2 RBIs. Tyler Gluting 2-for-3, 2 runs.

Montini 14, De La Salle 3 (5 innings)

Naperville Central 6, Prospect 3

Neuqua Valley 10, Crete-Monee 0 (5 innings)

Neuqua (9-10-1): Kiet Truong 4 IP, 0 H, 11 Ks; 2-for-3, run, RBI.

Oak Forest 15, Bradley-Bourbonnais 2

Providence 8, Mount Carmel 5

Providence (16-7, 4-1 CCL Blue): Blake Jenner 2-run HR. Declan Kane 2-run HR.

Mount Carmel (14-8, 3-2): Kolin Adams 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBIs.

Rolling Meadows 2, Dundee-Crown 0

St. Charles North 3, St. Charles East 0

St. Laurence 3, Loyola 0

St. Laurence (20-3, 6-0 CCL Blue): Sam Chin 6 IP, H.

Shepard 5, Bremen 2

Shepard (10-8-2, 6-4-1 SSC Red): David Nelligan 4 IP, 8 Ks. T.J. Georgis 2-run single.

South Elgin 2, Stevenson 1

South Elgin (12-9): Connor Lund double, RBI. Justin Pold double, run.

Stagg 4, Reavis 3 (10 innings)

Stagg: William Houston 5 IP, 0 R. Jasper Willis scored GW run in bottom 10th.

Tinley Park 20, Simeon 0 (5 innings)

Waubonsie Valley 8, Glenbard East 4

Waubonsie (12-9): Josh Hung 2-for-3, double, run, 2 RBIs. Connor Beren 3-for-4, 2 runs, RBI.

West Aurora 12, Bolingbrook 0 (5 innings)

West Aurora (18-4): Zach Toma 2-for-4, 3 RBIs. Henry Hinkle 3-for-3, 2 RBIs.

Yorkville Christian 5, Westminster Christian 1

Yorkville Christian (13-7): Nolan Hooper 6 IP, 0 ER, 13 Ks.

Zion-Benton 7, Vernon Hills 5

Zion-Benton (6-16): Brayden Duran 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. Sam Villareal 2 runs.

COAL CITY INVITATIONAL

Burlington Central 10, Coal City 1

Burlington Central (13-10): Sam Maglares 3-for-4, doble, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. Jake Johnson 2-for-5, 3 RBIs.

Tolono Unity 5, Burlington Central 0

SANDWICH INVITATIONAL

Mahomet-Seymour 11, Sandwich 6

Wheaton Academy 15, Sandwich 2

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

LINCOLN-WAY EAST INVITATIONAL

Glenbard West d. Lincoln-Way East 24-26, 25-8, 25-20, championship

Downers Grove North d. Brother Rice 25-21, 25-19, third

Cathedral (Ind.) d. Lincoln-Way Central 15-25, 26-24, 15-13, fifth

GIRLS SOCCER

Bartlett 2, Elgin 0

Burlington Central 3, Belvidere North 1

Burlington Central (6-9): Elsa Carlson goal, assist. Annie Magan goal, assist.

Jacobs 2, Larkin 1

Joliet West 2, Sandburg 1

Lemont 3, Oak Forest 0

South Elgin 1, Hampshire 0

South Elgin (9-7-2): Lucy Tomasi goal.

Timothy Christian 2, Argo 0

Tinley Park 4, Bremen 2

Wheaton Warrenville South 7, East Aurora 0

TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (Iowa)

Batavia 1, Normal Community 0

Arrowhead (Wis.) 2, Metea Valley 1 (SO)

Metea (11-2): Lily Senese goal in regulation.

Dunlap 6, Reavis 0

Helias (Mo.) 1, Carmel 0

Middleton (Wis.) 3, Batavia 2 (SO)

St. Charles (Mo.) 2, De La Salle 1

St. Teresa’s (Wis.) 2, Kaneland 1

SOFTBALL

Batavia 6, Naperville North 5

Naperville North (5-16): Maddi Larsen 3-for-4, 2 RBIs. Sara Rossi double, 2 RBIs.

Beecher 9, Sandburg 5

Beecher (24-1): Alexa Gliva 2-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs. Ava Lorenzatti 3-for-5, HR, 2 RBIs.

Sandburg (8-12): Olivia Trunk double, 2 runs.

DePaul Prep 4, De La Salle 1

Dundee-Crown 14, Elk Grove 4 (5 innings)

Dundee-Crown (8-14): Alyssa Gale 4-for-4, 2 doubles, 4 runs, 2 RBIs. Jordyn Jeffs 3-for-4, double, 2 runs, 3 RBIs.

Gardner-South Wilmington 4, Yorkville Christian 0

Harvest Christian 15, Wheeling 12

Harvest Christian (8-10): Makayla Richards 3-for-4, double, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs. Alyssa Burke 3-for-4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs.

Lake Zurich 12-2, Jacobs 5-7

Lake Zurich (10-12-1): Brianna Rubicz combined 5-for-8, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 4 RBIs.

Jacobs (13-13): Molly Hoch combined 4-for-7, 2 doubles, 2 runs, 6 RBIs.

Lockport 3, Naperville Central 1

Lockport (15-9): Kelcie McGraw CG, 4 H, 0 ER, 15 Ks; double, RBI.

Mother McAuley 11, Lyons 5

Niles North 16, Lake Forest 1 (4 innings)

Oswego East 10-9, Downers Grove South 9-5

Game 1 Oswego East: Danielle Stone 2-for-2, 4 RBIs.

Game 2 Oswego East (12-9): Kylie Mannis 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.

Stevenson 7, Taft 4

Stevenson (17-3): Aubrey Jepsen 2-for-3, double, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBIs. Sara Saiki 2-for-3, double, run, 2 RBIs.

Waubonsie Valley 15, Joliet Central 0 (4 innings)

BRADLEY-BOURBONNAIS BACKYARD BASH

Benet 8, Rock Island 3

Benet (7-12): Alaina Rosner 2-for-3, double, run, RBI.

Neuqua Valley 5, Rock Island 3

Neuqua: Ashley Pape run, 2 RBIs. Nalia Clifford 2-for-4, 2 runs.

Rock Island 6, Oak Forest 0

LIBERTYVILLE ROUND ROBIN

Lincoln-Way East 15, Libertyville 5 (5 innings)

Lincoln-Way East (19-2): Zoey Bullock triple, 4 RBIs.

Lincoln-Way East 7, Loyola 0

MARENGO INVITATIONAL

St. Charles East 13, Joliet West 12

St. Charles East (14-12): Caleigh Higgins HR, 4 RBIs. Addison Wolf 3 runs.

St. Charles East 8, Kaneland 2

St. Charles East: Wolf 3-for-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs.

Kaneland 15, Cary-Grove 0

Kaneland (12-10): Lillyana Crawford 5 RBIs.

Huntley 7, St. Charles East 6

St. Charles East: Hayden Sujack 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBIs.

LOCAL COLLEGES

BASEBALL

North Central College 3-5, North Park 2-4

NCC (23-17, 14-6 CCIW): Parker Wyatt combined 4-for-8, 2 HRs, 3 runs, 4 RBIs.

CCAC CHAMPIONSHIP

St. Xavier 6, Judson 0

St. Xavier (31-22): Jimmy Fairley 5.1 IP, 2 H. Shea Zbrozek run, RBI.

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL

NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP

The Master’s (Calif.) d. St. Xavier 28-26, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19

St. Xavier (31-1): Matt Pannala 20 kills. Vejas Cuplinskas 12 kills. Caydann Cox 11 kills, 11 digs. Cameron Daniels 43 assists.

SOFTBALL

CCAC TOURNAMENT

Championship Bracket

St. Xavier 9, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 6

St. Xavier (35-6): Taylor Becker 3-run double.

Elimination Bracket

St. Francis 4-4, Olivet Nazarene 1-10

St. Francis (20-20): Jaelynn Taylor combined 3-for-6, double, HR, 3 RBIs.

Compiled by Josh Krockey.

Even though the measure failed in Bensenville, at least 163 communities around the state have recently enacted local grocery taxes.

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill last year repealing the state’s 1% grocery tax, saying it hit poorer families harder. But the bill also allowed municipalities, which depend on the revenue, to implement their own tax. Bensenville put the proposal on the ballot to get voters’ input, but local officials are not required to do so. In many municipalities, local governing bodies are casting the deciding vote.

The political hot potato promises to create a patchwork of taxes and has already led to finger-pointing between local and state officials. The debate over local grocery taxes also comes at a time when many consumers are worried about rising food prices.

“I don’t like it, but I guess I kind of understand it,” Jane Kramer, 73, said of the tax as she shopped for groceries in west suburban Batavia. “Yes, I’m disappointed about it, but that’s our lives.”

Other shoppers don’t think a 1% grocery tax is a big deal.

Ken Mate, 66, buys his groceries in bulk, and said he relies on two-for-one deals and sales to keep his food costs low.

“I don’t think it’s gonna hurt anybody’s bottom line here,” Mate said while shopping in Batavia, “because nobody’ll notice it.”

Notice it or not, the tax generates an estimated $400 million annually, according to Pritzker’s office. All the money collected from the state grocery tax is passed on to local municipalities, where it is spent on basic services like police, firefighters, snow plowing and garbage pickup.

The state suspended the grocery tax for fiscal year 2022 to help fight rising inflation, but municipal leaders say losing the stream of revenue permanently forces them to consider cutting services, raising sales or property taxes, or implementing a local grocery tax. If they approve a local grocery tax by Oct. 1, it would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, when the state tax expires.

Pritzker called the statewide grocery tax “embarrassing” because it hurts poorer people the most by taking a bigger bite out of their income, though low-income recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, do not pay the tax. While the governor takes credit for cutting the tax, local leaders say it leaves them with hard choices.

“Unfortunately, the governor threw it to the municipalities,” Algonquin Mayor Debby Sosine said. Her northwest suburban village, which receives $2 million annually in state grocery tax proceeds and uses it to pave and repair roads, has already approved its own tax.

Sosine was one of the mayors who warned last year, as the Pritzker proposal was being debated, that loss of the tax would hurt them immensely.

Chicago officials have yet to decide whether to impose their own tax. The state grocery tax generates an estimated $60 million to $80 million for the city, said Ald. Pat Dowell, chair of the Committee on Finance. “It’s a not insignificant amount of money,” she said.

Whether the city will impose its own grocery tax will be decided in upcoming budget hearings across the city.

“People should be involved in the budget process,” Dowell said. “Residents should come out and speak their mind and talk to their aldermen.”

Illinois residents already pay the highest combined state and local taxes in the nation, at more than $13,000 annually, according to a recent report by WalletHub. Food prices rose 3% in the past year as of March, and the federal government forecasts them to rise another 3.5% this year.

Cook County also has a 1.25% grocery tax to fund the Regional Transportation Authority.

More than a dozen suburbs in the Chicago area have already adopted local grocery taxes, including Barrington, Berwyn, Buffalo Grove, Carol Stream, Cicero, Des Plaines, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Lombard, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Palatine, Schaumburg, Tinley Park and Wheaton. Officials in other suburbs, including Naperville, Batavia and Oswego, are considering doing so.

The state grocery tax generates about $6.5 million annually for Naperville, where the City Council is expected to take up the issue in May or June.

“We will be looking at both expenditure reductions as well as potential revenue sources over the next couple of months,” City Manager Douglas Krieger said.

The south suburbs, which collectively receive more than $20 million in funding from the state grocery tax, will be hit particularly hard, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association Executive Director Kristi DeLaurentiis said.

Many towns in the south suburbs have little commercial base.

Some areas also are food deserts, with no grocery stores to tax. To remedy the lack of fresh food, some municipalities have pledged part of their state grocery tax revenues to attract grocery stores, and are contractually obligated to come up with the money whether the state provides it or not.

“Many of our communities are significantly distressed, and don’t have a lot of economic activity,” she said. “The grocery tax revenue is very important to communities that have less commercial activity,” she said. “So many of them are evaluating, do we need to go to the taxpayer? The grocery tax is likely far easier than additional property taxes.”

In west suburban Batavia, City Administrator Laura Newman said the loss of the state tax will mean a reduction of about $1.2 million in revenue annually.

The City Council took preliminary action to approve a local grocery tax, but not before criticizing the state’s decision.

“It was just a motion to make somebody look good, is what this was,” Mayor Jeffery Schielke said, deeming the decision a political move from Pritzker.

Ald. Abby Beck called a grocery tax “regressive” and said it would “hurt our most vulnerable citizens the most,” suggesting Batavia reduce its version of the tax below 1% in the future and compensate with other funding sources, like property taxes.

Passing its own tax would allow Batavia more local control, Ald. Kevin Malone said.

“It’s kind of a big stinker that this got put on our lap,” he said.

Downstate cities like Carbondale, Danville and Peoria also have approved their own grocery taxes.

“If local governments believe it is necessary to tax milk, bread, eggs, etc. to fund local services/local government, then they should be responsible and accountable for that decision to local taxpayers,” Illinois Department of Revenue spokeswoman Maura Kownacki told the Tribune. “The state should not be imposing a regressive, statewide sales tax on groceries especially during a time when inflation is hitting the pocketbooks of Illinois families.”