Jim Dey: New digs fit for a growing family

May 20—It's time once again to dive into another round of quick takes on the people, places and events that were being talked about over the past week:

Leaving hayseeds behindThe barefoot boy from Gifford and Champaign is moving on up to the big time — specifically to the Chicago area.

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that state Treasurer Michael Frerichs and his new wife have purchased a swanky new house in the Cook County community of Lakeview.

A former Champaign County Board member, county auditor and state senator, Frerichs told The Chicago Tribune that he's leaving the local area as a result of his recent marriage.

" ... My wife has a job in Chicago and we have a growing family," Frerichs said. "So we were looking for a new house, and we really liked the (Lakeview) neighborhood. I've been commuting (to Chicago) for the last few years, and we got engaged, and my wife had a nice place in West Town, but it was not big enough for the growing family."

The Trib likes to report on housing sales and purchases by high-profile personalities. It reported Frerichs and his wife paid "$1.37 million for (the) five-bedroom, 4,026-square-foot all-brick house."

It said their house was built in 2007 and has a variety of amenities, including a limestone front porch, a living room with a gas fireplace, a dining room with 10-foot ceilings on the first floor, and a kitchen with a 48-inch JennAir double oven range and a walk-in pantry with built-in organizers.

Well over six feet in height, Frerichs has the benefit of vaulted ceilings on the second floor, a primary bedroom suite with a private balcony and a bathroom with an oversized air jet tub, the Trib reported.

The 2021 property tax bill for the property was $23,985.

Frerichs is a political animal with ambitions to be governor or a U.S. senator. So he's surely aware that his new climes in the Chicago area will put him in closer touch with the Chicago politicians who run Illinois.

Given Frerichs' departure, the only statewide officeholder not from the Cook County area is U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield.

Double secret probationThe Illinois Supreme Court has suspended the license of Champaign lawyer Matthew E. Peek for six months and "until he makes restitution or provides proof of a settlement with his former clients."

Peek's problems with the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission were detailed in an earlier column. The court concluded that, among other things, Peek "failed to act with reasonable diligence and did not communicate with his clients. He also failed to promptly deliver 13 garnishment checks owed to a client or respond to the client's inquiries about the checks."

And that's not all. In a separate matter, the court said Peek "made gratuitous comments of a sexual nature to opposing counsel and a paralegal in a domestic relations matter."

The suspension is effective on June 6.

Picking up the tabThey may be headed to prison, but at least two of the ComEd Four don't have to pay their lawyers' fees.

Commonwealth Edison pleaded guilty and expressed moral outrage when it learned its executives/lobbyists were accused of conspiring to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Nonetheless, the company is paying millions of dollars in legal fees to the lawyers for former CEO Anne Pramaggiore and company lobbyist John Hooker.

WBEZ radio in Chicago recently reported that "Pramaggiore and Hooker, at least for the moment, are being spared that burden under an indemnity guarantee spelled out in Exelon's bylaws."

WBEZ said the "company wouldn't divulge how much it has paid to Pramaggiore and Hooker's legal teams, which comprised at least five attorneys apiece based on federal court filings. ComEd maintains that no ratepayer dollars are being used for the expense."

The four — lobbyists Jay Doherty and Michael McClain in addition to Pramaggiore and Hooker — recently were convicted in the high profile criminal case. None will be sentenced until 2024.

At the same time, Madigan and McClain face trial next year in connection with the long-running federal investigation into the utility's years-long effort to win favorable treatment from Madigan on their favored legislation.

Madigan has spent nearly $9 million in legal fees, using his multiple campaign funds to pay lawyers.

It's not been disclosed how McClain and Doherty are paying what surely are onerous legal fees.

The financial toll on the targets of federal investigations is one of the under-reported aspects of these kinds of cases.

Former Gov. George Ryan was represented at no charge by the law firm overseen by the late former Gov. James Thompson. But it was estimated his "legal tab" was "valued as high as $20 million, by some reports, though nearly all of his expenses incurred by the 20-lawyer contingent comprising Ryan's legal team were covered at no cost by the Winston & Strawn law firm."

Big splashMay 16 was Illini night at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, where the White Sox played the Cleveland team formerly known as the Indians.

The pilgrimage to Chicago by Illini alumni, students, faculty and staff included included Fighting Illini head football coach Bret Bielema.

Sports information whizzes used these types of occasions as an opportunity to shop Bielema around to various media outlets.

Bielema was a drive-time morning guest on Chicago radio station 670 The Score as well as the subject of a flattering feature story in the Tribune.

"'People are drawn to hope' Bret Bielema has changed expectations of Illinois football — inside and outside the program," read a Trib headline.

Last season's turnaround — in just Bielema's second year — clearly has caught the attention of the Chicago media, and that's crucial to building the UI's Cook County-area profile and boosting recruiting.

A good interview, Bielema discussed recruiting, losing and winning veteran players through the portal and the importance of bringing players from Illinois to the UI.

And in case anyone's interested Bielema told a Trib sports reporter that he hasn't changed the culture of UI football and isn't trying to do so.

"You know, it's interesting. I never say the word 'culture.' I think in today's world, it become this emphasis of, OK, he's changing the culture. I hear it all the time. I understand why people say that. But what I did, I think, is I brought in an environment of expectations I want them to live (by) when they come in and go out," he said.

How rotten is C-U?Actually, it's not rotten at all. But, according to Forbes Magazine, it's not exactly Shang-ri-la either.

Forbes recently published an article — Best Places to Retire in 2023 — that included named 25 cities, including six college towns.

Champaign-Urbana did not make the cut.

The college towns that made the list were Athens, Ga., (University of Georgia), Columbia, Mo., (University of Missouri), Iowa City, Ia., (University of Iowa), Lawrence, Kan., (University of Bill Self)., Lexington, Ky., (University of Kentucky), and Lincoln, Neb., (University of Nebraska).

Let the music playThe Illinois State Fair always tries to attract musical acts the public will find appealing.

This year, it's offering a special treat to country music fans — Tim McGraw.

The fair announced this week that McGraw — a three-time Grammy Award winner — will play at the fair's grandstand Aug. 17. He'll be joined by Landon Parker

Tickets went on sale via Ticketmaster on Friday (May 19). Prices range from $85 to $100.

Among the others acts will be REO Speedwagon (Aug. 15), Alter Bridge with Mammoth WVH (Aug. 16), Maren Morris with TBD (Aug. 19) and Nelly with Ashanti & Ja Rule (Aug. 20).

State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark said the schedule of entertainers continues the fair's "tradition of bringing multiple genres of music to our grandstand."