Mostly sunny and seasonably cool but also a rather nice day for early fall standards. Winds should be lighter compared to Friday..

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago state senator pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of lying to the FBI and seeking a bribe to oppose legislation that would have required a statewide evaluation of red-light camera systems.

Sen. Emil Jones III, the latest public official implicated in the bribery scheme, entered the plea by telephone before U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood.

“I plead not guilty, your honor,” he said in a calm voice.

Jones has an unsecured bond of $10,000.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday called for Jones to resign his seat, one day after Jones stepped down from his unpaid post as deputy leader for the Senate Democrats and his $11,098-per-year committee chair position at the request of Senate President Don Harmon.

Jones is running unopposed in the Nov. 8 general election.

Prosecutors allege that Jones, a South Side Democrat, told an individual with an interest in the camera system operator SafeSpeed that he would protect it from legislation in the General Assembly in exchange for $5,000 and a job for an unnamed associate.

Prosecutors have not named the red-light camera company, but SafeSpeed issued a statement Tuesday indicating that a former associate was involved.

Neither SafeSpeed nor its current owners have been charged with any wrongdoing.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

If you know of local business openings or closings, please notify us here.

- All-you-can-eat Korean barbecue is on its way, with 88 K-Pot opening perhaps in December near the Wine & Spirits store in the Bethlehem Square shopping center. 

- Air Products' joint venture in Saudi Arabia has acquired an industrial-gas business for an undisclosed price. The Abdullah Hashim Industrial Gases & Equipment venture acquired Khafrah Industrial Gases from Paris-based Air Liquide S.A.

- Anatolian Kitchen is still closed for renovations, according to a sign at the Taylor Court, Bethlehem, business. 

- After 36 years, the owners of Cavaluzzo's Pasta, Steaks & Subs in Emmaus are retiring, and the restaurant will close.

- The high-tech conglomerate formerly known as II-VI (pronounced “two-six”) has taken on the name of a company it acquired, Coherent Corp. 

- Palmer Township's board of supervisors approved a conditional-use application for four industrial buildings know as "First Park 33" on Tatamy Road, between Newlins Mill and Corriere roads.

- The Florida-based chain Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers plans to open three physical-therapy clinics within two years in the Lehigh Valley.

- Radish Republic, a specialty grocery store on North Seventh Street in Allentown, is closing after three years.

- The Palmer Township Zoning Hearing Board made the decision to keep a cease-and-desist order against The Reserve at Palmer Pointe apartments, which township officials say were built contrary to designs submitted six years ago.

- The Allentown-Based payment-processing company Shift4Payments Inc. introduced SkyTab POS, a point-of-sale system for restaurants. 

- The Bethlehem Planning Commission approved three separate "mixed-use" buildings for South Bethlehem, on East Fourth Street, South New Street and West Fourth Street.

- Transform Rehabilitation's physical-therapy clinics in Allentown, New Tripoli and Whitehall are now part of Upstream, which owns or manages more than 1,200 locations in the U.S.

- The Lehigh Valley's newest Wawa opened on the east side of Nazareth Pike/Route 191, just south of the Borough of Nazareth. 

- DoubleTree Hotel has expanded its catering to private jets that take off from Reading Regional Airport.

- The not-for-profit Kutztown Community Partnership has discussed buying the shuttered Strand Theatre to continue its tradition, but KCP would need grants and donations to keep it going.

- A man police say was drunk drove into Budd Lake Bagel & Deli II in Hackettstown, New Jersey, on Sunday night, causing the shop to close indefinitely.

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