School Quarantine Policy Updated
Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 have updated their quarantine and isolation policy. Those periods have been reduced to five days, in line with the recent update by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which was adopted by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). These mitigation strategies are used for those who test positive for COVID-19 or are considered to be a close contact. Isolation for those who test positive for COVID-19 may only be ended after that five-day period if the person has been fever free for 24 hours and symptoms have improved.
County Government Employee Testing Policy
Yesterday the DuPage County Finance Committee took a look at a proposal that would implement a COVID-19 testing policy for county government employees who are unvaccinated. A federal mandate, imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is calling on employers with more than 100 workers to require employees to either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing. Officials are still ironing out details, but the policy may include assembling a vaccination roster and providing paid leave for employees. OSHA will not penalize employers for non-compliance with the testing requirements before February 9. Officials intend to adapt accordingly should different direction be provided, as the U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing the OSHA mandate. The county board plans to give the testing policy consideration as early as its January 25 meeting.
County Election Precinct Map
DuPage County voters could find they are grouped into fewer, larger precincts come the next election. Yesterday the DuPage County Board decided to postpone a vote on the county election precinct map. A new piece of legislation, signed into law in November 2021, calls for reducing the number of precincts from 930 to 607. The current draft of the redrawn map leaves fewer committeemen to serve as the voice of the voters, thereby impacting whether a party may be elected. The proposal prompted concerns by county board members on both sides of the aisle. The election precinct map needs to be adopted no later than Friday. A special county board meeting on this topic is scheduled for Friday at 8 a.m.
Park District Leadership Change
Ray McGury, the executive director for the Naperville Park District, is resigning from his role, effective end of day February 1. After 13 years in the job, he is leaving to pursue a new opportunity. During his tenure, the park district saw expansion through projects like the Knoch Knolls Nature Center, Fort Hill Activity Center, and 95th Street Community Plaza, along with receiving national accreditation from the National Park and Recreation Association. Brad Wilson, currently the district’s director of recreation and facilities, will take over the executive director role.
Scholarship To Honor Patino
Family and friends of Franco Patino are spearheading a fundraising effort for a scholarship in his honor at the University of Dayton. The 21-year-old Naperville resident was a senior at the school when he was killed in the Astroworld crowd surge tragedy in Houston on November 5, 2021. Patino’s loved ones are working in partnership with the University of Dayton’s Division of Student Development, the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center, members of Alpha Psi Lambda’s Alpha Nu chapter and members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to raise at least $20,000 for the fund.
