Individuals and families in Illinois can now sign up for quality health coverage through Get Covered Illinois by visiting www.GetCoveredIllinois.gov. Through the Marketplace, you can make side-by-side comparisons of health coverage options and find the plan that works best for you, your family and your budget.

All of the plans you’ll find through Get Covered Illinois cover important things like doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions and more. And you won’t be denied coverage if you are sick or already have a condition like asthma, diabetes or even cancer.

You may even be able to get help paying for your plan. For example, if you are an individual who earns less than $45,960 a year, or a member of a family of four that makes less than $94,200 a year, you may be able to get a tax credit to help pay for your health insurance coverage. You may even qualify for a free or low-cost plan.

 Sometimes finding the right health plan can be confusing. The good news is that you don’t have to figure it out alone. There are specially trained counselors, called Navigators, who are available to help you learn about your choices and enroll for free – online, by phone or in-person. To enroll online or find a Navigator near you, visit www.GetCoveredIllinois.gov.

So why wait? Enrollment is open through March 31, 2014. Take the first step to getting covered. To enroll online or find a Navigator near you, visit www.GetCoveredIllinois.gov or call the toll-free Help Desk at (866) 311-1119, open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m

The public is invited to attend a community meeting hosted by your River North Residents Association and Alderman Brendan Reilly concerning the proposed development to 740 N. Rush Street (Giordano’s) on Monday, April 7th at 5:30pm at Giordano’s.  Representatives of the 740 N. Rush Street development team will present their plans and answer any questions about their proposal.

The current proposed development would include both hotel and retail use. The existing 4 story will remain on the site; with hotel constructed on the west side. The meeting will take place in the upper meeting room.

Chicago’s traditional rite of spring for runners and fitness enthusiasts, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K travels through the Loop and adjacent neighborhoods including River North where Course Marshal volunteers play a vital role supporting the participants, spectators and community. Community members and neighborhood partners who live or work on or near the course are invited to join the effort and register to volunteer for their neighborhood Course Marshal team!

River North Course Marshal

Course Marshals have several key responsibilities, the primary being to ensure participant and spectator safety by making sure the course stays clear of spectator and vehicle traffic. Marshals will also act as a source of information about the event (provided) and surrounding neighborhood to spectators.
The Course Marshal Captain will be in touch with more details, including the location of Volunteer Check-In, a digital copy of the Information Guide, preparation tips and more prior to the event.
Applicants are expected to adhere to the following Course Marshal expectations, – Must be of age 18 or older – Must be able to stand for 4 or more hours

SIGN UP                                                                                                                                                                                    .                                   

To volunteer

Alderman Reilly is looking for qualified applicants to serve as Election Judges for the March 18th Primary Election.

Election  Judges are assigned to polling places, and they are responsible for  making sure that the polling place opens and closes on time, and that  the election is run smoothly.

Election  judges earn $170 for their service, provided they complete a very brief  training session prior to Election Day. For more information on  training and qualifications, please visit https://www.chicagoelections.com/page.php?id=16.

If you are interested in becoming an Election Judge in the 42nd Ward, email office@reillyforchicago.com or call Matt Cain at 312-274-0042.

In a Primary Election, citizens vote to determine which candidate will represent their political party in the General Election.

Grace Period Voter Registration

Grace Period Voter Registration is the safety-net program for those who missed the standard deadline to register – Tuesday, February 18, 2014.

Grace Period Voter Registration is offered through March 15, 2014 and requires the voter to register or update their records in-person at the Election Board Offices, located at 69 W. Washington Street, 6th Floor. They are open from 9:00am – 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays, and 9:00am – 3:00pm on Sunday.

Voters need to bring at least two forms of identification,  and at least one ID must the address of their new/updated registration. After registering, “grace period” participants vote during the same visit. Those who use Grace Period registration/voting cannot use Early Voting, Absentee Voting or Voting in the Polling Place on Election Day and must vote during the same visit when they register.

Early Voting

Early Voting for the 2014 Primary Election will be offered from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the following locations near the 42nd Ward:

Museum of Broadcast Communications

360 N. State Street

9:00am – 5:00pm Open Mondays through Saturdays

Board of Elections

9:00am – 3:00pm Sundays

A list with all of the locations where early voting is available is viewable here .

During Early Voting:

• Voters registered in the      City of Chicago may use any Early Voting site in the city, regardless      of where the voters live.
• Voters don’t need a reason      or excuse to use Early Voting — but voters do need to present      government-issued photo identification.
• Ballots cast in Early      Voting are final. After casting ballots in Early Voting, voters may not      return to amend, change or undo a ballot for any reason. It is a felony to      vote more than once — or to attempt to vote more than once — in the same      election.

Absentee Voting Any registered voter in Illinois may cast an absentee ballot by mail.  Voters do not need a reason or excuse to vote absentee by mail.

February 6, 2014 is the first day that civilian voters in the United States may apply to cast an absentee ballot in March 18, 2014 Primary Election.

Qualifications for Absentee Voting:

• Anyone registered to vote in Chicago are eligible to      cast absentee ballots.  However, the voter must file a completed and      signed request for absentee ballot by the legal deadline.
• Applications for military and civilians overseas must      be received at the Election Board by close of business on Monday, March      10, 2014.
• Applications from voters in the United States must be      received at the Election Board by close of business on Thursday, March 13,      2014.

Please click here for detailed information about Absentee Voting.
Key Dates to Remember

• February 19 through March 15,      2014: In-person Grace Period Voter      Registration offered at Election Board, 69 W. Washington St., 6th Floor.
• March 3 through March 15, 2014: Early Voting offered at 51 sites throughout the city
• March 10, 2014: Military/Civilian Overseas voter applications must be received by Election      Board. Fax and email applications accepted.
• March 13, 2014: All      other absentee applications must be received by Election Board.
• March 16 to 17, 2014: In-person absentee voting offered at the Election Board, 69 W. Washington      St., 6th Floor.
• March 17, 2014: Last      day absentee ballots may be postmarked and certified by the voter or      delivered in person to Election Board.
• March 18, 2014: If      a voter failed to submit an absentee ballot with a postmark before      Election Day (March 17 or earlier), the voter may submit the unused      absentee ballot to the judges at the polling place designated for that      voter’s precinct and cast a ballot in person.
• April 1, 2014: Last day that a mailed      absentee ballot (postmarked or certified March 17 or earlier) may arrive      at the Election Board to be included in the count.

More information is available at the Chicago Board of Elections website.

A water tower on the roof of 409 W. Huron Street was found to be tilted and leaking water. As a precaution, the Chicago Fire Department immediately ordered the shutdown of surrounding streets, including Huron, Erie, Sedgwick and Hudson Streets.

In addition to Chicago Fire Department personnel, the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Department of Buildings, and Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) are also on-site to secure the area and direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic. These City agencies are working together to coordinate the scene, conduct any required evacuations, and ensure the appropriate utility companies are on standby. At this time, several streets have been closed, although the CTA service has not been affected.

Please monitor local news reports for real-time updates on this issue. Please use caution if traveling in the area, expect delays, and adhere to instruction from safety and security personnel on site.

Recent snow, salt treatments and thaw-freeze cycles this winter season have led to a significant increase in the number of potholes on city streets.

 The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) continues to work diligently to keep up with the growing number of potholes.  CDOT uses the City’s 3-1-1 system to help them identify potholes that require repair.Please note – in order to report potholes, a specific address is required. A pothole service request can be placed through Chicago’s 311 system by calling 3-1-1, visiting the 311 City Services website, texting “311” to CHItext, or emailing Alderman Brendan Reilly’s office directly.The City of Chicago has also launched a new “Pothole Tracker,” which allows Chicagoans to monitor a week’s worth of pothole patching activity by CDOT.Pothole Tracker, powered by the City’s Open Data Portal at www.cityofchicago.org/potholetracker, gives Chicagoans a snapshot of the potholes that CDOT crews have filled during the past seven days.On the Pothole Tracker site, each blue dot is a location where a resident has reported a pothole and CDOT crews have subsequently been busy repairing roadways. An information box on each dot provides the service request number, the date of the completed work and the total number of potholes repaired on each block.

Since the start of the new year, CDOT crews have patched more than 50,000 potholes in streets in alleys across Chicago, using 1,000 tons of asphalt patching material.  In 2013, CDOT repaired more than 625,000 potholes.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) cordially invites all Chicago residents and visitors to attend the Chicago Cultural Center Winter Open House.

Friday, February 21, 2014

11:00am – 7:30pm

Chicago Cultural Center

78 E. Washington Street

Chicago IL, 60602Live entertainment begins at 11 a.m. with the Juicebox performance  series and continues with a Wired Fridays mid-day DJ dance party at  noon. The Open House concludes with opening receptions for two new  exhibitions, Mecca Flat Blues and Thirty-Five Years of Public Art, and  LiveWire Chicago’s premiere of Assistance by Leslye Headland across the  street at the Storefront Theater at 7:30pm.

 All events are FREE unless  noted.  A full schedule of events is available here.

In a Primary Election, citizens vote to determine which candidate will represent their political party in the General Election.

Voter Registration  There are several ways to register to vote before the Tuesday, February 18, 2014 deadline:

1. Complete the Illinois Voter Registration Application
2. Visit the Chicago Board of Elections at 69 W. Washington, 6th Floor
3. Visit an IL Secretary of State’s Office  if obtaining new driver’s license or state ID
4. Register through an active deputy registrar
5. NEW in 2014! 17-year-olds (born on or before November 4, 1996) can register and vote in the March 18, 2014 Primary      Election

To check on the status of your voter registration, please click here.

Grace Period Voter Registration

February 18, 2014. 5:00pm Mondays through Saturdays, with Sunday hours to be determined. Voters need to bring at least two forms of identification,  and at least one ID must the address of their new/updated registration. After registering, “grace period” participants vote during the same visit. Those who use Grace Period registration/voting cannot use Early Voting, Absentee Voting or Voting in the Polling Place on Election Day and must vote during the same visit when they register.

Early Voting Early Voting for the 2014 Primary Election will be offered from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the following locations near the 42nd Ward:

Access Living

115 W. Chicago Avenue- 9:00am – 5:00pm  Open Mondays through Saturdays

Museum of Broadcast Communications

360 N. State Street

9:00am – 5:00pm Open Mondays through Saturdays

Board of Elections

9:00am – 3:00pm Sundays

  A list with all of the locations where early voting is available is viewable here .