More local news mayhem. CBS 2 on-air employees Mary Ann Childers, Katie McCall and Rafael Romo were among the 18 people whose positions were eliminated today at the station.
William Bowen's friends have some serious explaining to do. Bowen recently came to in a garbage truck, full of garbage, in Muncie, Indiana.
While it certainly doesn't feel like spring, today is Opening Day for both the Cubs and White Sox. The Cubs open their season at what is for now still Wrigley Field and host the Milwaukee Brewers, while the White Sox begin their 2008 campaign in Cleveland against the Indians.
Two teenagers have been charged as adults in the weekend killing of 18-year-old Chavez Clarke, who was shot on his way out of Saturday classes at Simeon Career Academy. Samuel Hill, 17 (far left), and Roland Little, 19 (left), were charged with first-degree murder; police say Clarke and Hill, the shooter, had on-going beef. Students from Simeon are planning a rally at the State of Illinois building downtown tomorrow to protest against gun violence.
Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly
The Chicago Fire earned a point on the road thanks to an injury-time blast from Cuauhtemoc Blanco in a 1-1 game against Real Salt Lake. With time winding, down Fire substitute Calen Carr sprinted down the far sideline and crossed a ball into the box that was deflected directly to Blanco, who brilliantly connected with the ball bending it around goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Today's long read, totally worth it: Violin prodigy Rachel Barton Pine's career was put on hold after a Metra accident severed her left leg and mangled her right in 1995. Now her career's getting back on track, but the road hasn't been easy. [Trib]
Earth Hour officials indicate last year there were 2.2 million who participated in a one-hour effort to bring awareness to energy conservation. Yesterday, they estimated that number was around 10 million. In Chicago, the Sears Tower, the John Hancock, the Wrigley Building, and the Tribune Tower dimmed decorative lights, while 500 McDonald’s throughout Chicagoland turned off their golden arches. In the theatre district, marquees went dark, and Elphaba, the witch from "Wicked" turned out the lights with a dramatic "spell". Navy Pier’s iconic ferris wheel went dark and nearly every store on the Magnificent Mile turned out their lights.
Obama revealed during a conversation, airing yesterday on The View, that his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, has acknowledged comments he made were controversial and hurtful. A spokesperson for the Senator clarified Obama’s comments did not imply that the minister had regret over his comments.
In the sex abuse headlines this weekend are two stories: one overturning a sentence and the other a sentencing of four years in prison.
Our feelings about this recent winter progressed like this: we were initially excited about the cold and snow, were merely tolerating it a few months later, and now we are completely sick of winter and want it to GO AWAY. It’s been a pretty snowy time of it these last few months, and with yesterday’s seasonally invasive snowfall, it has officially become Chicago’s seventh snowiest winter season since we started keeping track of these things in 1884.
George Turner was held in lieu of $275,000 bond yesterday after being charged with the sexual assault of one teenage girl and the sexual abuse of another. Turner was until Feb 29 the boys varsity basketball coach at Walter Payton College Prep.
Although he hasn't yet gotten the nod to run, concrete magnate Martin Ozinga is getting ready to be the replacement candidate in Illinois's 11th District congressional race.
The Chicago Fire kick off their 2008 campaign tomorrow when they play Real Salt Lake on the road.
Charges were filed today in the Halloween killing of Back of the Yards resident Leticia Barrera Orlando Avila, 18, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. [Trib]
Next time you're at Walgreens, you can stock up on more than deodes and condoms, aka Saturday supplies. You can also buy clothes. And apparently not just those crappy looking Chicago t-shirts and weirdly tight gloves. Regular clothes!
Todd Stroger sat down with CBS2's Mike Flannery for a 40 minute interview about patronage, county health system billing blunders, the county budget, unfairness in the media and the pay hike his cousin Donna Dunnings got out of the new budget. You can watch it here.
Those of us who grew up in Chicago are used to watching Michael Jordan dominate on the court. Yesterday, MJ dominated in court as the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal in a case brought by Karla Knafel against the basketball superstar.
Just when it seemed like the CPD was getting its act together (atcha, J-Fed!), a local man who was acquitted of murder is now suing the police, alleging that they tried to beat a confession out him, while also soliciting his wife for sex.
A Cook County judge removed a private law firm that has been representing the Department of Children and Family Services in a criminal case involving a friend of Governor Rod Blagojevich.
Jody Weis wants Chicago cops to drive SUVs instead of what he called the "horrible" fleet of cars they current drive.
The Grand Red Line station is due for a major renovation, to the tune of $67 million. It's the firs time the station has been thoroughly updated since it was built in 1943. Old!
You can combat the allergens by washing your pillowcase at least once a week, and either freezing your pillow for 24 hours or washing it in very hot water. []
Jose Canseco's second book hits shelves next week, but copies are getting around already. In this tell-some sequel, Canseco says he hooked Alex Rodriguez up with a 'roid-distributing trainer (and that Rodriguez hit on his wife), that he thinks Roger Clemens may be on steroids, and that he personally injected then-White Sox Magglio Ordoñez with performance enhancing drugs.
Western Illinois University and Macomb police are investigating an anonymous note found in an off-campus apartment.
Looks like Chicagoans weren't as thirsty for bottled water as the city had hoped. At least not in January. The 5-cent tax on bottled water brought in $550,000 in the first month of this year, which is way short of the $875,000 the city projected.
We try to ignore everything Stella Foster says, but every one in a while, she has some good news. She says those gross, weird AT&T commercials featuring the Harry Caray impersonator will be pulled from the air March 30.
Motorola is splitting into two companies, creating a "broadband & mobility solutions" company, which includes wireless infrastructure, cable TV boxes and walkie-talkies, and a mobile devices company, which is cell phones.
Varut Subchareon, 19, is facing felony charges after police caught him spray painting in Roscoe Village. Subchareon then told police of approximately 20 other tags he'd sprayed in the neighborhood, including one on Park District property. Police say the tags arent' gang related but all look exactly the same. He's been charged with criminal damage to state-supported property.
Ruben Zarate attempted to rob a muffler shop on the Northwest Side yesterday, but employees told him only their boss could open the safe, and he wasn't there. So Zarate gave them his phone number and told them to call when the boss got in. They called the police instead. Police wound up shooting Zarate when he returned to the store; he survived and is being charged with attempted armed robbery and aggravated assault of a police officer. [Trib]
Wintry mix ≠ out like a lamb. [NWS]
Police busted a methamphetamine lab last night on the Northwest Side and recovered over 18 pounds of crystal meth, which they say has a street value of around $3 million. That's a lotta meth. They also found 790 grams of cocaine, which has a street value of around $100,000.
theme song.
"That son of a bitch lit me on fire."
Lawyers presented closing arguments today in Carlos Estes's sexual harassment case against the Illinois Department of Human Services. Yes, those services he says he was asked to provide were certainly of the human variety.
What is it about the Illinois state GOP and their mega-crush on local business tycoons?
Bulls interim head coach Jim Boylan looks like a fool for commenting to the media that he hopes to remain the Bulls coach next year.
Yesterday's Sun Times headline was all about the 12 percent pay hike Donna Dunnings - Todd Stroger's cousin and just one of many beneficiaries of Cook County's Friends and Family Plan - got out of the new 2008 county budget. When Stroger hired Dunnings, they both bragged that her salary would be far less than the previous CFO.
Is that a drug deal caught on Google Maps? [Gawker]
Kilpatrick has hired former US Attorney Daniel Webb, who has some experience representing elected officials. He recently represented George Ryan (can't win 'em all), and has been ranked the "No. 1 white-collar criminal defense attorney" by Corporate Crime Reporter.
The protesters who interrupted the Easter mass at Holy Name church yesterday were in court this morning and held in lieu of $25,000 bail for five of them and $35,000 for one with a record. They all face two counts of felony criminal damage to property and two counts of simple battery for allegedly squirting fake blood on parishioners. Donte D. Smith, Ephran Ramirez, Jr., Ryane J. Ziemba, Mercedes Phinaih, Regan Maher and Angela Haban will all be in court Monday, March 31.
Today is World TB day, and we should be observing extra-hard in Illinois. 2007 saw 521 active cases of TB in the state, which is an all-time low. Go us! Except we're still the 5th highest in the nation, and there was a 25 percent increase in the number of drug-resistant cases. [IL Department of Public Health release]
A 70-year-old woman was shot and killed by what may have been a stray bullet early this morning. Maggie Browder was in her living room, at 12212 S. Morgan St, when a bullet came through her front window a little after 6am.
Only in its second year, a new tutoring program within the Chicago Public School system is already getting some great press. The program, run by an organization called America’s Choice, pairs ninth graders at six Chicago high schools with first graders at neighboring elementary schools. It was primarily designed to help the literacy levels of the participating high school freshman, who on average, tested out at fifth grade reading levels last year.
Last summer, the state of Illinois awarded an exclusive contract to Pepsi for the sale of soft drinks on state property. But now Coca-Cola's crying foul, saying the state impeded their ability to put together a full proposal, and state legislators agree. They voted 104-0 to have the auditor general take a look at the contract. The Revenue Department says the deal is completely un-shady.
On Saturday, a select group of CTA Tattlers sat down for coffee with CTA President Ron Huberman to discuss the state of the CTA. This morning, CTA Tattler posted the first report from their meeting with Huberman, covering the various bus initiatives that were discussed on Saturday. During the meeting, Huberman also told the tattlers that the GPS Bus Tracker pilot program will be expanding to 20 new bus routes, which will be announced this morning.
A bunch of people jacked up on jelly beans and lamb-shaped butter got into a bit of trouble this weekend:
In a blow to the argument that hand guns help keep people safe, three children have been injured by stray bullets this weekend. First, there was 1-year-old Dashaun Turner. He was standing behind her sister while she cooked noodles at the stove in their West Pullman home when a stray bullet blew through the cabinet and struck his hand. Dashaun’s mother told the S-T:
This just in. As Cardinal Francis George was beginning the homily at Holy Name, six people poured a blood-like substance on themselves and parishioners. They have been arrested. [Trib]
In the category of foolish action, Dennis Goggin, a Chicago Firefighter who was also the Lincoln Park High School girls’ swimming coach was arrested in Elmhurst yesterday, and charged with indecent solicitation and attempted aggravated sexual abuse. Goggin is 42. According to officials, the internet was involved. He’s being held with a $150,000 bond at the DuPage County Jail.
Remember when we told you about that quasi-Illinois-shapped corn flake? Well, it sold yesterday. $1,350. Only $50 more than what we told you bidding had topped last Monday. But in between, Ebay cancelled the auction, saying it violated their food policy. So the two sisters who listed the flake instead listed a coupon redeemable for a corn flake shaped like Illinois.
A two-month old Pomeranian pup weighing less than two pounds was stolen yesterday from a Naperville Petland store. The pup, which has an identifying microchip imbedded in between his shoulders, has set off the equivalent of an “Amber Alert“ for pets. HelpMeFindMyPet.com has sent a message to veterinarians, pet stores, and other animal-related businesses within a 50-mile radius.
Sure, flights at O'Hare get delayed all the time, and Midway can be kind of a pain, but Orlando International Airport was closed due to the stink of dead rats. It's an ongoing problem. [Trib. Please, someone's crappy metal band, name yourself "Rat Stench."]
A developmentally disabled pregnant woman with a one-year-old son was tortured and beaten to death by a social worker and the social worker's children, among others, in Alton, Illinois, about 300 miles south of here. Holy moly, is this story ever sad.
Wishes don't come true. It's still snowing like a mofo. If you can leave work now, do. The roads are a mess (even though plows and salt trucks are out), and sidewalks are the slushy stuff nightmares and broken teeth are made of. At least it should let up by late tonight, but for reals, bleh. [NWS]
Queen of all media Oprah is facing two lawsuits today, one from a disgruntled audience member and one from a disgruntled other lady.
Well, if they were anything like us as adolescents, they're in the basement drinking Boone's Farm and watching Star Wars for the 356th time. But seriously, they really should be at home. We mentioned back in January that Mayor Daley wanted to push back curfews for youth, ages 17 and under. As of this weekend, Mr. Mayor gets his wish.
It's been quite a couple weeks of coming clean for our senator and presidential hopeful. Barack Obama sat down with both local dailies to clear the air about his connection to Tony Rezko last week, and gave a speech to addressing his preacher and race this week.
James Duff, a Daley friend with mob ties who scammed Chicago out of $100 million meant for women and minority-owned companies, has been banned from doing business
Bosses, don't call your employees "boy toy[s]." And don't stay in hotel rooms with them. And really, as a state employee, you probably shouldn't have your "special assistant" pick up your dry cleaning, especially when that includes what the Trib calls "undergarmets." Avoid, avoid, avoid.
Yesterday morning, WSCR 670 AM reported that free swinging White Sox infielder Juan Uribe has been placed on waivers by the team. Uribe had been competing for the second base position since he was relieved of his position as shortstop when the Sox traded for Orlando Cabrera from the L.A. Angels over the winter, and by most accounts he was performing well. When a player is waived, the team has the option to trade him within two business days, keep the player on the team if no offers are made for him, or release him with full pay.
Some things never change. Chicago will elect only Democrats. Chicago will always get dumped with 6 inches of snow when the calendar says its spring. And Kerry Wood will be injured.
OK, keep it in your pants, Sun-Times and Tribune. The moronic Sam Zell song contest that the S-T has been hyping like the second coming finally concluded today. And a Tribune intern won, although the S-T folk didn't realize that when they picked her song. The Sun-Times says it's been "punk'd," which isn't really what punk'd means, and the Trib published its own gleeful story all about how they're the bestest ever, and how everyone else is a stupidface. Fight!
Happy spring! Today marked the spring equinox, which means bust out the picnic baskets and flower pots--it's time to celebrate. Except wait a little while because our area is under a winter storm watch tonight through late tomorrow. Expect heavy, wet snow starting after midnight, with around an inch accumulating over night and 3-5 inches accumulating during the day on Friday. At least it won't be too cold; highs should be in the high-30s the rest of this week and into the 40s on Monday.
U.S. District Judge Wayne Andersen, who has been overseeing the City of Chicago's compliance with hiring, awarded $3.6 million in fees to the lawyers who have been working on the matter for over a decade. Calling their work exemplary, Anderson pointed out that “without the expertise and efforts of plaintiff’s counsel, the plaintiffs likely would not have achieved any recovery,” according to the Tribune.
It's gonna snow tomorrow. Expect 6 inches by Friday. Joy! [Trib]
At least 12 people were injured this afternoon when a Range Rover crashed through a wall at the Tri-State Auto Auction of Chicago in Crestwood. So far, reports are that at least 4 of those injured are in critical condition.
Roberto Gonzales, 24, died last night after police Tasered him. An officer told the Trib that he was "Tasered on the West Side after resisting arrest, and becoming combative and violent while being taken into custody." Gonzales's autopsy is scheduled for today. [Trib]
A two-car crash on the South Side killed four people and injured four others this morning.
A couple weeks ago, we directed you to a site selling the most awesome t-shirts in the world. When we saw our love for Obama combined with our love of the White Sox combined into one and printed on 100% cotton, our credit card came right out. After waiting two agonizing weeks, we got the goods in the mail last week -- a few days ahead of the March 15 expected ship date.
Chicagland native Evan Lysacek grew up idolizing Chris Chelios. Now he's the U.S. figure skating champion, and boy is runner-up Jonny Weir not happy about it. [NYT]
CVS owes America $36.7 million.
Planning and Development Commissioner Arnold Randall told the developers of the 50-acre Chatham Market on the South Side that the city would not approve plans for a Wal-Mart. It's weird that they even asked, because the city zoned the area for retail development only after "then-developer Monroe Investment Partners LLC stated in a letter to city officials that Wal-Mart would not be a part of the shopping center." The City Council then passed an ordinance that the city commissioner would have to approve any retailer who wanted to occupy more than 100,000 square feet of the property.
An Aurora teen was sentenced to 27 days in jail for posting what prosecutors called threats on his MySpace page. The 15-year-old East Aurora High School student agreed to a plea bargain today, having already served that time. He was also sentenced to 21 days of electronic home monitoring and a year of probation, during which he's only allowed to use the internet for homework.
Tiny critters have been clawing and chewing their way into cars across the region, some mechanics and car dealers are reporting. Squirrels, rats, mice, even woodchucks have been hanging out under car hoods, keeping warm and foraging for chow, even though wires aren't typically part of varmint diet.
More than 200 high school students, residents of the ABLA Homes, haven't been to school since March 7 because they're afraid of gang retaliation following the murder of one of their classmates.
I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.
While we here in the Chicagoist offices have taken exception to the possible re-naming of Wrigley Field, we have a much bigger issue with the possible new ownership of the park. From the get-go, we have opposed the sale of Wrigley to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the state agency that owns and runs U.S. Cellular Field.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments today in Heller vs District of Columbia, the first major gun-rights case to come before the court in nearly 70 years. At issue is a long unresolved constitutional question: Does the Second Amendment protect an individual's right to keep and bear arms, or does it only protect a state's right to arm a militia?
We couldn't pick just one photo for today's Extra, Extra.
Last year, LaSalle Bank sponsored Looptopia. And they said they'd do it again...except Bank of America bought La Salle Bank, and now BoA is backing out of the deal. And Looptopia is in a few months. Uh, shit!
Alderman Mary Ann Smith is pushing for a city ordinance that would ban cruelty towards elephants. She came up with the idea last year after three elephants died at the Lincoln Park Zoo, but now it's an issue again because the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is planning its November run at the United Center.
At least one Chicago teenager believes that aluminum foil is a fine substitute for a condom.
A man wanted for murder in California since 1998 was arrested in Chinatown yesterday after police received a tip that he was staying there. Fu Lin Wang, a native of Taiwan accused of killing his ex-wife and stepson, was arrested on the 200-block of W 24th Street last night after story about him ran in the Chicago edition of the World Journal, a Chinese newspaper. Someone recognized him and called the cops. Police went to the apartment in Chinatown, rang the doorbell, and were let in.
Free rides for seniors starts today. You remember free rides for seniors, right? That was the the program that Blagojevich added to the CTA bail out. (Said Blagojevich, "it's like the little boy with a pile of horse manure, I kept digging cheerfully in that and found a pony in there -- the pony is free public transportation for all seniors in the state of Illinois.")
Last Thursday the Illinois State Board of Elections finalized its list of delegates selected in the February 5 primary. For Republicans, it's simple: John McCain has 54 delegates, Mitt Romney has 3. For Democrats, though, the complex rules of their party primary mean that 69 delegates will go to the convention to vote for Barack Obama, and 31 will vote for Hillary Clinton. Also tagging along will be a gaggle of superdelegates, some of whom have committed to a candidate, and others who haven't.
This was not a good season for Bruce Weber's Illini squad. In his previous four seasons at Illinois, his teams had won at least 23 game and made the NCAA Tournament. His 2004-2005 team went 32-1 during the regular season before losing in the NCAA championship game. But this season, Weber's team finished below .500 at 16-19 and looked to have no shot at receiving an NCAA Tournament bid.
Cartoon for Chicagoist by Tim Daly
A 60-year-old woman in Carol Stream was found stabbed to death inside her condo. Her son was charged with the crime after he was arrested at the Schaumburg Hooters, a favorite destination of fugitives everywhere. [Daily Herald]
In a crazy, sad story that’s been evolving all day, Boubacar Bah has been charged with the early morning hit-and-run death of Thomas Dalof. Dalof, 26, had been celebrating with friends his recent acceptance into both the Chicago Fire Academy and the local stagehands union. His friends gave an account as to what happened after they left the bar:
tournament loss.
Not that [the anonymous Chicago escort interviewed] would say exactly what she charges, other than that it's "not much higher" than what she described as Chicago's going rate of $700 to $800 an hour for top prostitutes.Continue reading "Chicago Prostitutes a Real Bargain"
A volunteer group, "Friends of Stacy Peterson", is resuming their search for Stacy, who -- in case you've been living in a cave -- has been missing since last October and is now considered a "potential homicide" due to the length of her absence. Her husband Drew Peterson is the prime suspect.
As the Democratic nomination inches closer to absolute certainty for Barack Obama, someone in the Obama camp decided they should perhaps act on that "call for transparency" that Barry keeps talking about. Not only did Obama release his list of earmarks from 2005 to 2006 (which the press has been trying to obtain for months), he also sat down for a 90 minute interview with the Chicago Tribune editorial board Friday afternoon. The topic? His connection to Tony Rezko.
Jay-Z Announces 2010 Tour Dates. Chicago Not On List.
"Batman" Headline Is a Stretch, But Prison Escape Story Could Be Its Own Movie
Chili Cook-Off Countdown
Extra, Extra
Around Town
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