Illinois quick hits: Chicago businesses at 10-year low; school admin survey closes soon

Illinois quick hits: Chicago businesses at 10-year low; school admin survey closes soon

August 26, 2025/

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Chicago businesses at 10-year low

The number of businesses operating in Chicago has reached a 10-year low.

Citing city license data, the Illinois Policy Institute said Chicago had 44,840 businesses operating in the city last year, down from 54,135 in 2015.

The Magnificent Mile area saw the largest decline with a 51% drop over the past decade.

School admin survey closes soon

The Illinois State Board of Education is asking school district administrators to complete the board’s Modernization District Survey this week.

ISBE says the request is part of an effort to modernize data systems, reduce duplication and build secure, user-friendly tools.

The survey closes on Friday, Aug. 29.

Increased U of I football security

The University of Illinois Division of Public Safety and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics have added walk-through metal-detection systems for home football games at Memorial Stadium.

Officials say Fighting Illini fans will have a similar entry experience to those at other major sports venues around the country.

The Illini home opener is scheduled this Friday evening against the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

Events

No events

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Mine manager pleads guilty A former Franklin County mine manager has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety...
Op-Ed: Chicago-area transit needs an intervention, not another fix

Op-Ed: Chicago-area transit needs an intervention, not another fix

By Brad Weisenstein | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square If Illinois were a family, it would have 1,313 siblings – its cities, towns and villages. One of them is...
WATCH: ‘Partisans’ who want to should ‘get up and move’ from Illinois, Pritzker says

WATCH: ‘Partisans’ who want to should ‘get up and move’ from Illinois, Pritzker says

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – If you’re not willing to stick around and help make the state better, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker...
Beecher Elementary Graphic

Beecher Officials Address Mildew Discovery in Elementary School Classrooms

Article Summary: Beecher School District officials have launched a comprehensive remediation effort after mildew was discovered in several first and second-grade classrooms at Beecher Elementary School last week. Superintendent Dr....
Beecher Graphic.1

Beecher Residents Confront Village Board Over “War Zone” Construction Site

Article Summary: Heated discussion dominated the public comment portion of the Beecher Village Board meeting as residents demanded action over what they described as a messy, slow-moving, and improperly managed...
Victims identified in Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

Victims identified in Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

By Jon StyfThe Center Square “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.” Those are the words of the parents of 10-year-old Harper...
Pentagon to build new task force to counter drone threats

Pentagon to build new task force to counter drone threats

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Pentagon is creating a new task force to counter drone threats and keep U.S. airspace safe. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Department of...
'Horrendous' religious freedom violation leads to payout by Chicago Public Schools

‘Horrendous’ religious freedom violation leads to payout by Chicago Public Schools

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A court-approved settlement of over $2.6 million is being paid to 207 former Chicago Public School students...
Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris

Extended Secret Service protection canceled for Kamala Harris

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square More than seven months after leaving office, President Donald Trump is revoking the taxpayer-funded Secret Service protection detail of former Vice President Kamala Harris. Former...
Du Quoin State Fair gets $50M as senator defends two state fairs in Illinois

Du Quoin State Fair gets $50M as senator defends two state fairs in Illinois

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds have received over $50 million in upgrades, part of Gov. J.B....
WATCH: Pritzker alleges Trump election interference; tells disgruntled residents to move

WATCH: Pritzker alleges Trump election interference; tells disgruntled residents to move

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares where there...
Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

Illinois quick hits: Foreign national indicted for fraud; Chicago Public Schools budget approved

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Foreign national indicted for fraud A foreign national has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Chicago for allegedly defrauding numerous...
Meeting Briefs

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Beecher Public Library District Board for July 22, 2025

The Beecher Public Library District Board of Trustees learned of a significant state grant award and finalized the schedule for a window replacement project during its monthly meeting on July...
CA Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to stop redistricting

CA Supreme Court rejects GOP bid to stop redistricting

By Dave MasonThe Center Square The California Supreme Court rejected an emergency Republican petition to take congressional redistricting off the Nov. 4 ballot. "The petition for writ of mandate and...
Lawsuit links CA teen's suicide to artificial intelligence

Lawsuit links CA teen’s suicide to artificial intelligence

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The parents of a California teenager who committed suicide sued OpenAI, alleging that ChatGPT taught him how to harm himself, according to a lawsuit the...